The Steelers got some good news on the defensive front, as it looks like defensive end Brett Keisel will be back this week when the team takes on the Bills. Keisel has missed all but a few plays of the last five games with a sore hamstring.
Rookie wide receiver Antonio Brown (swollen knee) will be limited in practice and might not play on Sunday. Tight end Matt Spaeth’s status is up in the air because of a concussion.
Safety Will Allen has been cleared to practice after sitting out two games with a concussion. Safety Troy Polamalu might be limited again in practice due to an Achilles’ injury, as he was last week, but coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he is expected to play.
Ramon Foster remains at right guard after being promoted ahead of Trai Essex and Doug Legursky.
2 Comments
Leave a Reply
Show Your Team Spirit
Get Your Steelers Tickets
Steelers Gab Newsletter
Sign up to receive our Steelers Gab newsletter, and keep up to date with all the latest Pittsburgh Steelers news.
DrGeorge
November 24, 2010 at 5:10 pm
I feel obliged to give Mike Tomlin and some of his coaches credit for the turnaround on Sunday against the Raiders. Before the game, I said that some changes had to be made. In fact, they were made. Foster at RG in place of T. Essex was long overdue, and the results were immediate. He and Adams played well together, and Foster has much better technique than Essex. Sanders in place of Randel El paid dividends too, as well as Brown returning kicks.
The more subtle change was reining in Ben’s riverboat gambler instincts. Whether that was intended or not, it works. Ben is far more effective when he plays conservatively and takes the open short receiver instead of always going for big yards. Ironically, that approach tends to draw in the safeties and makes the long passes more effective too. I’d give credit to Arians if I knew it was his decision alone, but I suspect M. Tomlin had a word or two in that decision as well. Ben is a wonderful asset, but the team plays better when the load is distributed. Although Ben was sacked last week, most of the sacks are attributable to his insistence on holding the ball instead of throwing it away. Over all, his protection was not that bad, and I commend Sean Kugler for finding a way to keep the O-line cohesive and productive in spite of the all the injuries.
While I’m at it, we should acknowledge the continued good play of the special teams. Al Everett and Amos Jones have made a big difference in that unit and made a virtue out of what was once a glaring Steelers weakness. There is still room for improvement in this unit, but you don’t have to hold your breath with every kick-off any more.
Finally, LeBeau made some needed changes in assignments and the entire defense became more productive, especially in pressuring the QB and in closing down the short zones. We blitzed a lot more and simplified the coverages. Above all, Wm Gay did not have to cover the tight end last week, avoiding the physical mismatch that cost us three TDs in the previous loss. The Bills should provide an opportunity to perfect this new look and refine it before we face the Ravens again. If the defense remains solid and injury free, our playoff chances improve remarkably.
Jay
November 25, 2010 at 6:33 pm
I totally agree, Dr. George…My only question is why does it take being toasted by New England….Goaddammit I hate the Patriots….to see that Gay shouldn’t cover a TE?!? I guess I’m asking for too much but losing to the patriots makes me feel dirty all over like a whore just taken to task by a team of pimps! I hope future changes can be foreseen in advance before they become observable and glaring weaknesses!