Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick in Concussion Protocol Ahead of Week 4 vs. Jets
Sep 27, 2022
BALTIMORE, MD - JANUARY 09: Pittsburgh safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (39) walks off the field during the Pittsburgh Steelers versus Baltimore Ravens National Football League game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 9, 2022 in Baltimore, MD. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah
Fitzpatrick is in the concussion protocol after being assessed for a head injury after Thursday's loss to the Cleveland Browns, head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Tuesday.
Fitzpatrick played all 72 defensive snaps plus four special-teams plays in the Steelers' 29-17 loss last week as the team fell to 1-2.
He's the only Steelers player to appear in 100 percent of defensive snaps this year, per Pro Football Reference.
The impressive durability comes after Fitzpatrick opened this year's training
camp on the active/non-football injury list after suffering a wrist
injury in a bike accident while on vacation.
The 25-year-old University of Alabama
product was one of the NFL's most durable players across his first
four seasons, playing 64 of a possible 65 regular-season games. His
only absence came last year while on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
He's emerged as one of the league's
best safeties since the Miami Dolphins selected him in the first
round of the 2018 draft. He was traded to Pittsburgh during the 2019
season. His accolades include two Pro Bowl appearances and a pair of
First Team All-Pro selections.
The versatile defensive back has added 24 tackles and two interceptions so far this season, returning one pick for a touchdown.
Tre Norwood and Miles Killebrew could each get a chance to fill the hole in the Steelers' secondary any time
Fitzpatrick is sidelined for the team's Week 4 game against the New York Jets.
Pittsburgh's defense must be the
bedrock if the team is going to make some noise this season amid an
evolving offense following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger.
Losing Fitzpatrick for any extended period of time would be a massive
setback.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Says Browns' Nick Chubb 'Controlled the Game' in PIT's Loss
Sep 23, 2022
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: Nick Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns rushes during the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin heaped praise on Nick Chubb after Thursday's 29-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns, saying the Pro Bowl running back "controlled the game."
"I thought they controlled the game, man. They possessed the ball. Nick Chubb controlled the game," Tomlin told reporters. "He was running through arm tackles and things of that nature, getting yards after contact. It wasn't good enough."
Chubb ran for 113 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, continuing his dominant start to the 2022 season. The fifth-year back has racked up at least 87 yards rushing in each of the Browns' first three games and is a good bet to be leading the NFL in rushing (341 yards) after Week 3.
This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.
Mitch Trubisky Isn't Steelers' Only Problem as Loss to Browns Sheds Light on Flaws
Sep 23, 2022
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: Mitch Trubisky #10 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks to pass during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Panic isn't a word that is generally associated with the Pittsburgh
Steelers. They are quite possibly the most stable franchise in sports. They have had three head coaches in over half a century. They have won six Super Bowls. And their current head coach has never
experienced a losing season.
But the anxiety level on the banks of the Monongahela River
is ratcheting up because Mike Tomlin's stretch of non-losing seasons is in very
serious jeopardy. After losing 29-17 to the Jacoby Brissett-led Cleveland
Browns on Thursday night, talk radio in the Steel City will no doubt center on the
notion of removing quarterback Mitch Trubisky and replacing him with
first-round rookie Kenny Pickett.
But the reality is that Trubisky's
limitations aren't the Steelers' only problem. Or their biggest problem.
This team has real issues on both sides of the ball—and a change under
center isn't going to fix them.
Earlier this week, while appearing on The Mike Tomlin
Show on the team's YouTube channel, Pittsburgh's head coach indicated that
he wasn't considering major changes to the starting lineup—including at
quarterback.
“I’m not even in the neighborhood of having discussions like
that, man,” Tomlin said, via
Bob Quinn of Steelers Nation. “I’m more concerned about our collective
growth and development and what we’re putting together in terms of what we
desire to do to engineer victory. [Trubisky is] just a component of it.”
Tomlin's patience was put to the test Thursday night by a
game that was in many respects a carbon copy of Pittsburgh's Week 2 loss to the
New England Patriots.
The good news for the Steelers offense is that the team set
a season high in yardage. The bad news is that season high was 308 yards.
Pittsburgh entered Thursday's action dead last in the AFC in total offense, and
this week's total isn't going to help that ranking much.
Does Trubisky bear his share of responsibility for another
lackluster offensive effort? Sure. His numbers Thursday were a testament to
mediocrity—20 completions in 32 attempts for 207 yards and a passer rating of
81.1. Yet again, Trubisky flatly refused to attack
the middle of the field.
This is not new. It's been a theme all season.
Here is Steelers QB Mitchell Trubisky's passing charts through Week 2 via the NFL's Next Gen Stats: pic.twitter.com/Q63PmTOf0L
But solely blaming Trubisky for this offense's inability to average
300 yards of offense three weeks into the season is unfair. There is plenty of
blame to go around.
Pittsburgh entered Week 3 with the seventh-worst ground game
in the NFL, averaging 83 yards per game. That number will bump a little after
the Steelers amassed 104 yards on 22 carries, but their ground game looked
pathetic compared to Cleveland's.
Lead back Najee Harris has yet to get into any kind of
groove this season, and Week 3 was no exception. He gained just 3.7 yards per
carry on his 15 totes—and that was actually his best average of the season.
Heading into the week, he was averaging less than three yards a pop.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: Najee Harris #22 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates scoring a rushing touchdown during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
That ain't good, folks.
Of course, Trubisky's and Harris' struggles can be traced to
yet another of the problems. The Steelers have
one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. In his most recent offensive
line rankings, Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus ranked Pittsburgh's front 28th in
the league.
Yes, that line only allowed one sack against the Browns. But
said sack came on a critical third down in the second half, and the Pittsburgh front
was yet again unable to open holes for the run game.
Lest you think he will be spared, offensive coordinator Matt
Canada deserves blame, too. Amid reports
that some in the organization are growing frustrated with the second-year OC,
Canada's play-calling fell flat once again. When Canada found something that
actually did work (using tempo in the first half), it completely
disappeared after halftime—and Pittsburgh's momentum vanished with it.
But wait! There's more!
For decades, the Steelers have been a team associated with fearsome
and formidable defenses. But just like the their ability to move the ball consistently,
that's gone now, too.
CORRECTS BROWNS PLAYER TO KAREEM HUNT, INSTEAD OF NICK CHUBB - Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt (27) runs between Pittsburgh Steelers' Cameron Heyward (97) and Devin Bush (55) during the first half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Last year, the Steelers fielded the worst run defense in the NFL, allowing 146.1 yards per game. This year, that number "improved"
through two games—to 22nd in the league at 128.5 yards per contest.
After facing the Browns, that number is headed in the wrong
direction. Nick Chub, Kareem Hunt and the Browns gashed the Steelers for 171 yards
on the ground. Granted, the Browns have a tendency to do that, but
Week 3 was a repeat of Week 2 against the Pats—a worn-down Steelers defense
being run on successfully again and again in the second half.
The pass defense is springing leaks, too. Last week it was Nelson
Agholor posting a 6/110/1 stat line. Thursday, both wide receiver Amari Cooper (7/101/1)
and tight end David Njoku (9/89/1) had big games.
No one is going to confuse Mac Jones and Jacoby Brissett
with Joe Montana and Tom Brady. But both had success against the Steelers. With
edge-rusher T.J. Watt sidelined by a torn pectoral muscle, Pittsburgh is
generating next to no pass rush.
Jacoby Brissett was pressured on just 4 of 33 dropbacks in the Browns 29-17 victory over the Steelers, his lowest pressure rate faced (12.1%) in a game in his career.
That lack of pressure is exposing an average group of
cornerbacks. And Pittsburgh is being slowly, methodically dismantled.
The Steelers are losing the third-down battle, converting at
a significantly lower percentage than their opponent the past two weeks. They
are also losing the time-of-possession battle to the tune of almost 20 minutes
the last two games.
They aren't being outplayed in one facet of the game.
Losing at one position. It's all over the place. On both sides of the ball.
It didn't take long for Tomlin to make it clear no big
changes were coming for Week 4.
Asked Mike Tomlin if he considers making a change a QB or playcallers in the minibye
That won't make fans happy, but it's hardly unexpected.
Tomlin isn't the kind of coach that makes knee-jerk changes. The Steelers
aren't that kind of team.
Or maybe he realizes that pulling Trubisky or firing Canada,
on some level, would just be re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Maybe he
knows that Pittsburgh's problems go beyond Trubisky. And Canada. And the
offense.
Maybe he knows that these Steelers are a flawed team, and
those flaws are being exposed.
And maybe he knows that streak of non-losing seasons is probably
toast.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin 'Definitively' Not Benching Mitchell Trubisky After Browns Loss
Sep 23, 2022
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: Mitch Trubisky #10 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a pass during the first quarter ahead of defender Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah #28 of the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The Pittsburgh Steelers are now 1-2 on the season following Thursday night's 29-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns, but head coach Mike Tomlin isn't ready to give up on Mitchell Trubisky just yet.
When asked after the game whether or not he would consider making a change at quarterback before the team's Week 4 matchup against the New York Jets, Tomlin responded, "Definitively, no."
For the third straight week, Trubisky was underwhelming. He completed 20 of 32 passes for 211 yards in Pittsburgh's loss in addition to rushing for seven yards and one score.
The 28-year-old averaged just 6.5 yards per attempt against the Browns. That's up from the 5.1 yards per attempt he averaged through the first two weeks of the season, but it's still not ideal.
Wide receiver Diontae Johnson led the team with eight catches for 84 yards on 11 targets. Tight end Pat Friermuth posted two catches for 41 yards, and rookie wide receiver George Pickens caught three passes for 39 yards.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported before Thursday's game that the Steelers had not had any discussions about replacing Trubisky with rookie Kenny Pickett at quarterback. He added that the Black and Gold entered the season hoping that Trubisky would be their starter for the entire year.
Tomlin also said earlier in the week that he was going to remain patient with Trubisky:
"I'm going to exercise appropriate patience and continue to teach and ask the guys to continue to learn in an effort to continue to push this train down the track and get better. I think that if anyone is sitting here on Monday in Week 2 of this thing feeling happy, they're probably wrong or misinformed."
Tomlin's patience will only last so long, and if Trubisky doesn't show improvement, it will be hard for the Steelers to not turn to Pickett, the team's 2022 first-round pick, who had a solid preseason this summer.
In three games, Pickett completed 29 of 36 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 7.3 passing yards per attempt, which is better than what Trubisky has shown early this season.
Pickett is undoubtedly the future at quarterback for the Steelers. Whether he takes over in 2022 or 2023 will likely be determined by how well, or not so well, Trubisky plays over the next several weeks.
Mitchell Trubisky Panned on Twitter for Uninspiring Play in Steelers' Loss to Browns
Sep 23, 2022
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: Mitch Trubisky #10 of the Pittsburgh Steelers scrambles from Anthony Walker Jr. #5 of the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky has not been lighting it up through the air this season, and that trend continued in a 29-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday Night Football.
Trubisky finished 20-of-32 for 207 yards with no touchdowns through the air, though he added a rushing score. He did nothing to change the narrative that he's a detriment to the Steelers offense.
Through three games, Trubisky now has thrown for 569 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while completing 60.2 percent of his passes. He's averaging 189.7 yards per game and Pittsburgh's offense looks like one of the worst in the league.
The 28-year-old was expected to be a placeholder at quarterback until first-round pick Kenny Pickett was deemed ready for some NFL action. With Trubisky playing the way he is, it might be a good idea to accelerate Pickett's development by making a switch under center.
NFL Twitter lit up Trubisky for yet another lifeless performance, with some wondering if his days as the starter are numbered:
If I had to describe Mitchell Trubisky with one word, and I couldn’t pick all the bad words, it would be “uninspiring”
What pisses me off most is that if you were committed to redshirting a rookie QB, you didn't need to spend $5mil on Trubisky. Stopgap QB was already in house & no worse than this guy. And you could've used that $5mil to add to your OL investment.
Three straight third and outs. There is absolutely no question this is the worst offense, and Mitch Trubisky is the least effective quarterback, in the league in the fourth quarter.
Uh, Mike Tomlin: Time to go to Kenny Pickett. Trubisky has some talent, but zero intangibles. Pickett oozes intangibles - leadership, football charisma, spark. You should be 0-3. Pickett time.
The Steelers have a streak of 15 straight winning seasons under head coach Mike Tomlin. It's still early, but Trubisky is simply not playing winning football. It likely wouldn't hurt to inject some new energy on offense by handing the reins over to Pickett.
Pittsburgh has a few extra days to make a decision on its quarterback situation, and it's worth taking time to evaluate it if the team wants to be successful going forward.
It will be interesting to see who is under center when the Steelers return to action on Oct. 2 against the New York Jets.
Odell Beckham Jr. Shouts out Steelers' George Pickens for 'Filthy' 1-Handed Catch
Sep 23, 2022
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: George Pickens #14 of the Pittsburgh Steelers makes a one handed catch ahead of Martin Emerson Jr. #23 of the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Odell Beckham Jr. knows a few things about pulling down a ridiculous catch, and even he was amazed by George Pickens' ridiculous one-handed grab during the Thursday Night Football matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.
Suffice to say, Pickens' nab was compared to Beckham's otherworldly one-handed catch from back in 2015, and at the very least was reminiscent of that famous highlight.
There was a ton of buzz surrounding Pickens, the Steelers' second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, throughout the summer. He had a slow start to the season, with just two receptions for 26 yards on five targets in the first two games, but he showed what all the hype was about on Thursday night.
George Pickens Draws Odell Beckham Jr. Comps on Twitter After Epic Catch vs. Browns
Sep 23, 2022
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 28: George Pickens #14 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the game against the Detroit Lions at Acrisure Stadium on August 28, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens may have just made the catch of the year.
The rookie wideout out of Georgia made an unbelievable one-handed catch during Thursday's game against the Cleveland Browns. It was so remarkable that he's now drawing comparisons to Odell Beckham Jr.
Pickens not rotating his hips and still tracking the ball behind him into his hand to me might be better but Odell was getting PI'd pretty hard. They're both remarkable.
On Nov. 23, 2014, Beckham burst onto the NFL scene as a rookie out of LSU, and he made his mark when he made a ridiculous leaping one-handed catch in the end zone for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Beckham and Pickens catches are very similar, and now fans will be debating about which is better for at least the next few days.
Through Pittsburgh's first two games of the season, Pickens had caught just two passes for 26 yards on five targets. After the team's loss to the New England Patriots, he told reporters that he was open "90 percent of the time."
Given his spectacular catch on Thursday night, Steelers quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is going to need to get the ball in his hands more often.
Steelers Rumors: Benching Mitchell Trubisky for Kenny Pickett Hasn't Been Discussed
Sep 22, 2022
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 18: Mitch Trubisky #10 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warms up before a game against the New England Patriots at Acrisure Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Mitchell Trubisky hasn't had the best start to his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the franchise isn't considering turning to rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett just yet.
"My understanding is there's been no conversations as of now about replacing Mitchell Trubisky and, in fact, going into the season the hope was that Trubisky would be the starting quarterback the entire season," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Thursday.
Trubisky and the Steelers are 1-1 on the season entering Thursday's game against the Cleveland Browns, and the veteran quarterback has been underwhelming. He has completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns against one interception.
A big gripe from the Pittsburgh fan base has been about Trubisky's reluctance to take shots downfield. Through the first two games of the season, he's averaging 5.1 yards per attempt which is the second-worst mark in the NFL.
While meeting with reporters earlier this week, Trubisky acknowledged that the team needs to do a better job of getting more downfield passing into the offensive scheme:
"Call concepts to get receivers there. When the coverage dictates that, get them the ball within that. ... We like our outside matchups. We've got really good receivers. We've got really good talent across the board. We'd like to attack all areas of the field and get the ball to our playmakers. So, we could do a little bit better at everything, for sure."
In addition to downfield issues, rookie wide receiver George Pickens has frequently found himself wide open, but Trubisky has targeted him just five times through the first two weeks. He caught two of those passes for 26 yards.
Even if Trubisky continues to struggle against the Browns, it's hard to imagine the Steelers appointing Pickett their starting quarterback after head coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged that he was going to be patient with the 2017 second overall pick:
"I'm going to exercise appropriate patience and continue to teach and ask the guys to continue to learn in an effort to continue to push this train down the track and get better. I think that if anyone is sitting here on Monday in Week 2 of this thing feeling happy, they're probably wrong or misinformed."
Pickett is undoubtedly Pittsburgh's future at quarterback, and he's going to get his time to prove himself, whether that be this season or in 2023. For now, fans should get used to Trubisky under center.
Joe Haden to Retire from NFL After 12 Seasons; Will Sign 1-Day Contract with Browns
Sep 21, 2022
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 01: Cleveland Browns Cornerback Joe Haden (23) on the field during the fourth quarter of the National Football League game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers on January 1, 2017, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh defeated Cleveland 27-24 in overtime. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden is retiring from the NFL.
Drew Rosenhaus, Haden's agent, confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter the 33-year-old will sign a one-day contract with the Cleveland Browns to retire with the team that drafted him.
There were rumors leading up to the start of the regular season that teams were expressing interest in Haden.
Pro Football Focus' Doug Kyed reported in June that Haden had "offers currently on the table" to consider.
Haden shot down speculation last month that the Pittsburgh Steelers were attempting to re-sign the veteran defensive back.
Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Haden intended to keep playing during the offseason and had interest from the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders but no deal materialized.
Haden looked like he was still capable of playing last season, though not at the level he was earlier in his career. PFF.com noted the University of Florida alum posted coverage grades of at least 60.0 in each of the previous five seasons.
On 55 targets as the primary defender in 2021, Haden allowed a completion percentage of 60.0, quarterback rating of 100.1 and three touchdowns. It was his highest completion percentage allowed since Pro Football Reference began tracking it in 2018.
Rather than try to find a situation that might have given him an opportunity to win a Super Bowl, Haden has opted to hang up his cleats after 12 seasons. He was the No. 7 overall pick by the Browns in the 2010 NFL draft.
During his seven-year stint in Cleveland, Haden made the Pro Bowl twice and was named to the All-Pro second team in 2013. He ranks 19th in franchise history with 19 interceptions.
The Steelers signed Haden as a free agent in August 2017 after he was released by the Browns. He spent five years with Pittsburgh, making the Pro Bowl in 2019 and recording 10 interceptions in 68 games.
