Steelers football blog

Long pass key factor in Steelers' new offense

Ben Roethlisberger has played 15 snaps in the first two preseason games, a number he expects to exceed in one game tonight.Charlie Batch has appeared for 24 snaps in two games, a number he might not exceed when the Steelers (1-1) play the Washington Redskins (1-0) at 8 p.m. in a preseason game at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

But, when they have played, Roethlisberger and Batch -- even No. 3 Brian St. Pierre -- have not wasted any time demonstrating what the offense might look like this season under new offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. Continue

Tomlin's first camp was tough on the players

Mike Tomlin wrapped up the final practice of his first training camp yesterday afternoon with many questions remaining about his football team, but with more insight about what he has."It's been as good as could be expected," the Steelers new coach said. "You always come in prepared for the worst and hopeful for the best. I think it's been more toward my hopes; it's been awesome."

Tomlin leaves Saint Vincent College believing he has a team that can compete for a Super Bowl. Like many NFL teams, injuries or the lack of them will decide how serious a bid the Steelers make. Continue

Saturday could make or break Steelers hopefuls

For some Steelers hopefuls, a trip to Washington, D.C., could be their last best chance to make a powerful statement. Coach Mike Tomlin said the starters will see increased action in the next two preseason games, meaning Saturday's exhibition against the Redskins is a capital opportunity for fringe roster players to enhance their case for making the 53-man roster.

"You have to take advantage of the opportunities that you are given," said free-agent wide receiver Walter Young after the team's final full workout at St. Vincent College. "Whether it's in practice or in the games, you have to make plays." Continue

Steelers LB Harrison ready to tackle expectations

James Harrison got the Lambert seal of approval following a Steelers practice earlier this week. During a visit to training camp, the youngest son of Hall of Famer Jack Lambert said Harrison is his favorite current Steeler. "He's amazing," 13-year-old Ty Lambert said Tuesday after meeting Harrison and getting an autograph from him.

The Steelers do not need Harrison to be amazing or to be another Jack Lambert. They are counting on his being ready to step in for Joey Porter at right outside linebacker and become a full-time starter in the NFL. Continue

McFadden waits and waits

If there is a competition to be the starter at right cornerback in the Steelers' defense, perhaps someone should tell Bryant McFadden. While other positions have rotated starters in training camp and preseason games, including in the secondary, McFadden wonders when he will get his turn.

While players such as center Sean Mahan, offensive tackle Willie Colon and safety Anthony Smith have received at least one week to work with their respective first-team units, McFadden is going through another week at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe as the backup to veteran Deshea Townsend at cornerback. Continue

Faneca's biggest fans say goodbye

Sweat glistening on his face -- at least the parts where it doesn't look like he forgot to bring a razor to training camp -- Alan Faneca signed autographs and posed for pictures with the people wearing yellow T-shirts that read "Faneca's Fanatics."

The veteran guard got a reminder as to just how important it is for him to talk publicly about living with epilepsy. The kids who consider Faneca a role model if not a hero also provided him with a bittersweet reminder of what he will soon leave behind. Continue

Steelers begin to separate themselves

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin informed his players this week that he's seen separation among some of them. It's a process that began against New Orleans on Sunday night in Canton, Ohio, and will continue Saturday night at Heinz Field against Green Bay. The early part of camp was about preparing individuals to compete for roster spots. Now, it's about weeding out. Continue

Steelers RBs make most of opportunity

Mike Tomlin put out an edition of "The News," on Tuesday, and Carey Davis was included in the mock newspaper that the first-year coach uses to single out players. "In a good way," said Davis, a well-traveled running back. "A lot of people made 'The News' in a good way."

Davis made news Sunday in the Hall of Fame Game by rushing for a game-high 68 yards. Yet, even after coaches and players reviewed film of the Steelers' 20-7 win over the New Orleans Saints, there wasn't much there to separate the logjam at running back behind starter Willie Parker. Continue

Steelers grooming new 'swing' tackle Starks

As it turns out Max Starks will not be easily moved, unless it's to the other side of the offensive line by design. Starks, a fourth-year pro and a free-agent-to-be at the conclusion of the 2007 season, remains the Steelers' starting right offensive tackle. But he also worked at left offensive tackle in the preseason opener against New Orleans on Sunday night, as a hedge against the potential emergency that would exist if something should happen to Marvel Smith.

"At this point he's a swing tackle for us, a guy that's capable of playing right and left," head coach Mike Tomlin said. Starks hadn't been as highly thought of at the conclusion of the Steelers' offseason program. Continue

Steelers running backs jockey for playing time

There is at least one benefit to the Steelers playing five preseason games this year. An extra game means more carries for the running backs who are trying to fill out the rotation behind Pro Bowler Willie Parker, or are trying to make the team.

And the significance of it is this: running backs are evaluated almost solely on what they do in games. Practices, where there is rarely any tackling, don't offer a chance for the coaches to see how well backs break tackles or finish runs. The depth chart, said running backs coach Kirby Wilson, "will develop its own pecking order (based) on how well they perform under the lights as far as assignments, techniques, production." Continue

Steelers' Hampton eager to expand horizons

The guy whose nickname is "Big Snack" admits that he'd like more chances to feast on quarterbacks this season. "I would like to play a little more 4-3 (defense), make me some plays," said Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton, who hasn't recorded a sack in the regular season since 2003. "I'll do whatever they ask me to do, but it would be nice to switch it up a little bit."

The biggest impediment to the seven-year veteran playing more 4-3 -- the defense head coach Mike Tomlin learned under mentor Tony Dungy -- is Hampton himself. He is a perfect fit in the 3-4 defense that has become as associated with Pittsburgh as Heinz and Iron City beer, and Hampton has been the quintessential nose tackle since the Steelers took him in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Continue

Steelers' Parker takes mystery break

The Steelers and Willie Parker weren't exactly forthcoming about why the Pro Bowl running back didn't practice Tuesday afternoon. Parker said, "Sometimes you need to take a break," but he added that he won't practice again today. When asked if he had hurt his knee, he referred reporters to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. Tomlin said Parker and veteran defensive linemen Chris Hoke and Travis Kirschke didn't practice yesterday afternoon because he wanted to give them a break so "we keep our horses up and running." Tomlin said Parker doesn't have an issue with his knee. Continue

Simmons answers so-called challenges

Kendall Simmons never will lick diabetes. That's not the case with those who thought they had a chance at taking his job. That so-called opening at right guard in the Steelers' offensive line is so, so yesterday. Simmons has whipped all comers.

It might have been the figment of someone's fantasy. The story goes that Chris Kemoeatu, a third-year guard, would give Simmons some heavy competition in training camp. Or that Willie Colon, if he did not beat Max Starks at right tackle, would surely get a chance at right guard. Continue

Willie Parker's goal is to be like LaDainian Tomlinson, only better

Now that he has shown he's no fluke, Willie Parker wants to reach for the stars and not the twinkle-twinkle little ones, either. He has set his sights on the North star of the NFL, the brightest of the bright. They don't come any more luminous than San Diego halfback LaDainian Tomlinson, the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player after he set league records with 31 touchdowns and 186 points last season.

"I want to be better than L.T.," Parker proclaimed yesterday between the Steelers' double practices at Saint Vincent College. "L.T. can do all that stuff. He's like a role model to me. I look up to this guy. I just want to do what he does." Continue

Steelers' Reid displays toughness early in camp

It's a wonder the Steelers didn't check Willie Reid's jersey for a bull's-eye after last Saturday's practice, or at least something that said a gust of wind hits harder than Anthony Smith. Smith, the feisty free safety, popped Reid in successive days last week, and the licks he delivered to the second-year wide receiver/punt returner during 11-on-11 drills touched off some verbal sparring between the wideouts and defensive backs.

What almost became lost amid the heated exchanges between the two sides and a perturbed Hines Ward saying that the defensive backs needed to chill was this: Reid hung onto the ball both times he got decked. Continue

Steelers work past hard feelings

Wide receiver Willie Reid was still in one piece, and the competitive harmony between the Steelers' offense and defense was intact Sunday afternoon at St. Vincent College. Following recent events, that constituted news entering the second week of the team's first training camp under new coach Mike Tomlin.

The fists, hits and fighting words were flying on Saturday afternoon, when Reid absorbed vicious shots from safeties Ryan Clark and Anthony Smith. Those shots were delivered after a fight between safety Tyrone Carter and wide receiver Nate Washington. Continue

Barlow dealing with unfamiliar situation

Willie Parker said he would like to carry the ball even more this season for the Steelers, never mind that he carried 337 times in 2006 -- more times than all but three AFC running backs. That is not good news for Kevan Barlow, who is still trying to adjust to not being the Willie Parker of his team.

Since entering the NFL in 2001 as a third-round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers, Barlow has come to training camp as a starter or a player competing to be a starter. But, after signing as a free agent with the team he grew up watching, Barlow is competing, at best, to be Parker's top backup, or, at worst, the third-down back behind Parker and Najeh Davenport. Continue

New coach Tomlin puts his stamp on camp

A gas station not much more than a couple of football fields from St. Vincent College welcomes the Steelers back to their summer home. The sign outside of it also refers to what the Steelers are doing in the shadow of the Laurel Mountains as "Coach Tomlin's torture camp."

Torture? Not exactly. Mike Tomlin's camp? Without a doubt. Tomlin's approach to training camp has been a marked contrast from that of his predecessor, Bill Cowher, and it has led to physical, fast-paced and sometimes contentious practices -- and, no doubt, a few raised eyebrows among his players. Continue

Many Steelers position battles far from settled

Ryan Clark is approachable and affable, but the Steelers' free safety made it clear last week that he did not want to talk about one of the position battles that will play out during coach Mike Tomlin's first training camp. "I'm not answering questions about Anthony Smith," Clark said as he walked off the playing field last week following a morning practice at St. Vincent College. Game on? Well, yes and no.

Clark is one of several veterans who could lose a starting job to players they helped tutor as rookies just last year. That hasn't stopped him, right tackle Max Starks or wide receiver Cedrick Wilson from giving pointers to the players who will push them for their starting positions (and may well pass them on the depth chart if they haven't already). Continue

Defensive backs throwing big hits; Ward not thrilled

Hines Ward didn't appreciate it when safety Tyrone Carter went after receiver Nate Washington for throwing the ball in his face. And he got really upset when safety Anthony Smith slammed into wide receiver Willie Reid from behind after making a catch.

But perhaps what really upset Ward, a four-time Pro Bowl receiver, is that none of the Steelers coaches said anything about the defensive backs trying to rough up the receivers during yesterday's afternoon practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. So Ward did it himself, coming across the field to challenge Smith and the defensive backs for their aggressive behavior. Continue

Steelers revive the no-huddle offense

Ben Roethlisberger isn't doing as much campaigning this year. There's no need. New offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and head coach Mike Tomlin are in apparent agreement with their QB's belief that the Steelers should employ the no-huddle offense in situations other than when they're trying to play beat the clock. "With Bruce and the confidence he has in me and Tomlin has, I think we'll use it," Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger, citing the success of Carson Palmer and the Cincinnati Bengals in such situations, voiced his desire for the Steelers to follow suit as the next logical step in their continued development as an offense in the spring of 2006. Continue

Steelers will try to draw a fine line

The linemen who make the holes for the Steelers' offense find themselves trying to fill a few this summer.Some holes aren't the kind that Willie Parker can run through. There are others, such as the job openings that supposedly exist on the offensive line: One at center, one at right guard and another at right tackle.

For sure, there is a new job available at center because of the retirement of two-time Pro Bowler Jeff Hartings. Either longtime heir apparent Chukky Okobi or newcomer Sean Mahan will start. As for the others, it's open more to conjecture than official job postings. Continue

Steelers fans reconvene at St. Vincent College

It's not that Mike Tomlin didn't realize the kind of fan support the Steelers inspire. But the first-year coach got another reminder of it as he made his way to the second of two practices the Steelers held Wednesday at St. Vincent College.

"I was walking down to the field and I was trying to figure out what the commotion was going on over there on the hill," Tomlin said, "and they told me the players were coming out to practice." A day after rain forced the players indoors for their first afternoon practice of the season, fans got their initial look at the 2007 Steelers. Continue

Tough, full-pads first practice gets team's attention in a hurry

Mike Tomlin's first practice as the Steelers' head coach proved more than its billing when he put the team through what many believe was the most physical practice session at Saint Vincent College since the days of Chuck Noll. No one could remember a tougher camp practice in Bill Cowher's 15 years as coach, not even a player who was with Cowher from the get-go.

"That was pretty tough, pret-ty tough," said former linebacker Levon Kirkland, a Steelers rookie in 1992 who is spending this week as a scouting intern with the team. "I'm sure the guys who have been here under Cowher are used to a certain way. You do it that way it's kind of tough. Makes you wonder what the evening practice will be about." Continue

Tomlin not so tough on first day

After all the talk of how tough his training camp would be, new coach Mike Tomlin turned soft on his very first day at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Not only did he relieve more than half the team from going through a run test yesterday, he stopped it short for the 35 players who did run it.

Tomlin revealed yesterday that those players who completed 44 of the 50 offseason workout sessions were absolved from running yesterday. The others were to run 110-yard jobs 16 times on the newly named Chuck Noll Field. Continue

Steelers' Faneca ready to put distractions behind him

Steelers guard Alan Faneca weighed 313 pounds on the first day of training camp at St. Vincent College, only a few pounds over last year's playing weight. He laughed easily with fellow guard Kendall Simmons during stretching exercises, and he easily completed 14 110-yard runs as part of a conditioning test administered by new coach Mike Tomlin. Coming off his sixth Pro Bowl appearance, it isn't a stretch to say that Faneca, 30, is in the prime of his career. "That's what I like to say," Faneca said Monday. Continue

Steelers set to unveil new-look offense

To hard-core Steelers fans, the idea may be as heretical as cracking open a wine cooler at a pregame tailgate. The Steelers, after all, have become beloved in Western Pennsylvania (and far beyond) as well as symbols of a blue-collar area because they not only beat teams through the years but beat them up, as well.

So, what to make of all this talk about four-wide receiver sets and running around the opposition instead of running through it, the latter of which has been a Steelers' hallmark? "I honestly think fans are going to be pleasantly surprised with this new offense," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. Continue

2007 Steelers training camp schedule

Steelers players report to training camp on Monday, July 23. The first open practice is on Tuesday, July 24. Open afternoon workouts begin at 2:55 p.m. (ET) and end at 6 p.m. at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. The public can enter the campus at 1:30 p.m. for 2:55 p.m. practices only.

July 23, Monday Players report No practice

July 24, Tuesday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

July 25, Wednesday Practice, 2:55 P.M - 6 p.m.

July 26, Thursday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

July 27, Friday Night practice, Latrobe Stadium, 7 p.m.

July 28, Saturday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

July 29, Sunday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

July 30, Monday Practice, 2:55 p.m. - 6 p.m.

July 31, Tuesday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

August 1, Wednesday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

August 2, Thursday Night practice, St. Vincent, 5:30 p.m.

August 3, Friday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

August 4, Saturday No open practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

August 5, Sunday Hall of Fame Game vs. Saints, 8 p.m.

August 6, Monday No practice

August 7, Tuesday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

August 8, Wednesday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

August 9, Thursday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

August 10, Friday No open practice

August 11, Saturday Steelers vs. Packers, 7:30 p.m.

August 12, Sunday No practice

August 13, Monday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

August 14, Tuesday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

August 15, Wednesday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

August 16, Thursday Practice, 2:55 P.M. - 6 p.m.

August 17, Friday Break camp August 18, Saturday Steelers at Redskins, 8 p.m.

(Pitt Tribune- Review)

Faneca's farewell to Pittsburgh

Day One of Alan Faneca's countdown to free agency begins in earnest on Monday at St. Vincent College. By showing up as promised, Big Red will at least keep alive hope that his story will have something other than one of the most disappointing endings in Steelers history.

Sadly, that is about as likely as Brady Quinn winning the Super Bowl this season for Cleveland. The Steelers once let Franco Harris finish his career in Seattle. Dan Rooney laments to this day that things didn't work out differently. Faneca winding up in Arizona or some other NFL outpost would leave a similar taste in mouths on the South Side. Continue

No-nonsense Tomlin looks forward to camp

In his first training camp, Chuck Noll told his players many of them would not be on the team long because they lacked the kind of talent he needed to forge a winner. In his first training camp, Bill Cowher stopped practice in the middle one day, gathered his players around him and screamed at them so loud his words could be heard on the hillside around Saint Vincent College. Mike Tomlin seems ready to continue the tradition tomorrow when his first Steelers team reports to training camp in Latrobe. Continue

2007 Steelers training camp schedule

Steelers players report to training camp on Monday, July 23. The first open practice is on Tuesday, July 24. Open afternoon workouts begin at 2:55 p.m. (ET) and end around 5 p.m. at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. The public can enter the campus at 1:30 p.m. for 2:55 p.m. practices only.

July 23, Monday Players report No open practice

July 24, Tuesday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

July 25, Wednesday Practice, 2:55 P.M

July 26, Thursday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

July 27, Friday Night practice, Latrobe Stadium, 7 p.m.

July 28, Saturday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

July 29, Sunday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

July 30, Monday Practice, 2:55 p.m.

July 31, Tuesday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

August 1, Wednesday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

August 2, Thursday Night practice, St. Vincent, 5:30 p.m.

August 3, Friday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

August 4, Saturday No open practice, 2:55 P.M.

August 5, Sunday Hall of Fame Game vs. Saints, 8 p.m.

August 6, Monday No practice

August 7, Tuesday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

August 8, Wednesday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

August 9, Thursday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

August 10, Friday No open practice

August 11, Saturday Steelers vs. Packers, 7:30 p.m.

August 12, Sunday No practice

August 13, Monday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

August 14, Tuesday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

August 15, Wednesday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

August 16, Thursday Practice, 2:55 P.M.

August 17, Friday Break camp

August 18, Saturday Steelers at Redskins, 8 p.m.

(Tribune-review)