Mike Tomlin said he was very pleased with the team's injury situation heading into Sunday's AFC Championship with the Jets.
Offensive tackles Jonathan Scott and Flozell Adams are both fine.
Defensive end Aaron Smith will practice full-time this week and could be available as a backup end. Tomlin said Ziggy Hood has done enough to deserve to continue in a starting role.
But having Smith available for 10 to 15 snaps could be huge.
Bryant McFadden will be limited early in the week with an abdomen injury, but is expected to play.
Will Allen is the more serious injury. He's got a sprained knee that will limit him early in the week. But Tomlin is hopeful he will be available.
© Tomlin would offer no fodder for a battle of words. He says he respects Jets coach Rex Ryan a great deal and says the two actually coach in a very similar fashion.
getting Smith back would be HUGE. Steelers D should be able to dominate this game. Jets D is strong against the pass but can be run on. Dale - why dont they ever give Redman more carries?
ReplyDeleteDale,
ReplyDeleteI think the Steelers are still doing cartwheels to be facing the Jets at home instead of going up against New England. Rewatched that earlier game and that was definitely the OL's best performance of the year, running the ball and picking up the blitz. Some of Redman's blitz pickups in that game were awesome.
I expect Will Allen to be down this week and LB Jason Worilds to be up in his place. I guess we could see a few more squib kicks this week. I also think Antonio Brown is due to take one to the house. He's been close a few times. And having a healthy Troy & Heath along with a possibly contributing Aaron Smith could be big for this team. I'd like to see B-Mac play a little more press with Braylon Edwards at the line of scrimmage to try and throw off some of Sanchez's quick timing passes. And lastly, there is never a time during the season where DaTruth isn't feeling a draft:
1. G/C Mike Pouncey
2. DL Christian Ballard, Iowa
3. CB Rashard Carmichael, Va Tech
4. NT Kenrick Ellis, Hampton
5. CB Curtis Marsh, Utah
6. FB Owen Marecic, Stanford
7. OT Derek Newton, Arkansas State
^ lol @ waiting until the 7th rd to draft an OT
ReplyDeleteamateur hour
Yeah, I would definitely address the OL earlier than the 7th round and I don't think we need 2 DL in the first 4 picks.
ReplyDeleteDale,
ReplyDeleteAs both tackles are full go, Bryant McFadden's injury seems to be the most concerning from a matchup standpoint, especially when Anthony Madison has to come in as a nickleback. What's the inside scoop re: how the team feels about Lewis and Butler in the long-term, seeing as they obviously can't pass Madison in the short-term?
special teams better rebound from last week. the coverage units were terrible.
ReplyDeletehow good is revis at playing the run? if he lines up on ward all day, i'd run right at him and let ward beat him up.
or line up ward and wallace on the same side and run clear outs to hit mendy on a swing pass.
In addition to attacking Revis on the run, you can attack his side of the field using the pass. I hate hearing, "He eliminates one whole side of the field". Man, he must be incredible to be able to cover multiple guys on that side of the field.
ReplyDeleteThere are any number of ways to attack that side of the field depending upon what the Jets give you based on who Revis is matched up with.
Here is a draft with the OL position addressed twice in the first 3 rounds:
ReplyDelete1. G/C Mike Pouncey
2. CB Ras I-Dowling, UVa.
3. LT/RT Chris Hairston, Clemson
4. NT Kenrick Ellis, Hampton
5. CB Curtis Marsh, Utah
6. K Kai Forbath, UCLA
7. DE Michael Janac, Marshall
da truth
ReplyDeletegreat mock
Gonna be a great game, great to be one step from another Super Bowl trip. If the defense plays like it did against the Ravens, you really gotta like our chances.
ReplyDeleteNow on the mock draft, dont we have 2 OL on IR that are both pretty massive & good???
Please little penalties and no turnovers, and our offense will be awesome. I hope BB comes out throwing over Cromartie again. We know what our defense will do.
ReplyDeleteMadison isn't markedly better than the other guys. He's just been around so long he knows the defense better. They also know he's going to be active every week regardless of injuries at other positions. Same can't be said for Lewis or Butler.
ReplyDeleteI doubt Allen is going to play as well.
"Now on the mock draft, dont we have 2 OL on IR that are both pretty massive & good???"
ReplyDeleteColon is an UFA coming off a serious achilles injury
Starks is coming off of a serious neck surgery and doesnt have many years left. Remember Marvel Smith had a similar injury and was never the same.
Offensive tackle needs to be addressed in this draft. It may tackle a while to groom one anyways as the Steelers dont start many rookies
Dale,
ReplyDeleteThoughts on my mock draft with the 2 OL going in the first 3 rounds? Also, do you think our OL coach/genuis can make something of Tony Hills and Chris Scott? They must have seen something there between the two or else I don't think they would have cut OLB Thaddeus Gibson and kept the both of them. Also, didn't you say that the guard that they have on the practice squad, Dorian Brooks from JMU, looked like a keeper in training camp?
If A. Smith plays, who sits?
ReplyDeletealso, i don't think Worlids taking Allen's place is a bad thing. maybe our coverage will actually improve.
if Worlids is healthy, he will play. He was decent on special teams all year and is our best backup OLB.
ReplyDeleteMundy replaces Allen
If Smith plays and they need an extra roster spot they can deactivate Randel El. He is worthless. They only use him on punt returns around the goal line but he almost fumbled last game. If they dont want Brown in that situation they can always use Moore
Max Starks is still young, only 28, iirc. His injury isn't the same or as serious as Marvel Smith's either. Smith had a nerve injury which could not be repaired successfully with disk surgery. Again, iirc, Starks had a herniated disk.
ReplyDelete^ doesnt mean we shouldnt draft a tackle
ReplyDeleteadamg M.D. up in here
ReplyDeletewho did tomlin say "depends on if you give 'em my plays" too ??
ReplyDeleteLOL! Didn't evens stay at a Holiday Inn Express...
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can gather, Smith had a herniated disk that pressed on a nerve that got worse despite team medical staff saying it wouldn't. The surgery to correct the herniated disk apparently wasn't very successful leading to Smith's retirment at age 31.
Starks reportedly has an injury to a vertibrae, not the disk, in his upper neck.
Of course, neck and back injuries are always dicey, so no one can say with certainty how well or if Starks will return next year.
With the Steelers getting Aaron Smith back and the way Hood has played the Steelers look great. Playing at home is plus. You know that Allen will play especially if the game is close.
ReplyDelete