Steelers were redeemed Sunday night
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Last Monday the Pittsburgh Steelers wallowed in pity as they looked ahead to 无毛视频淩edemption Sunday.无毛视频�
Well, they called the shot and this past Sunday night were redeemed.
Here are some quickhitters from a much happier Monday locker room this week on the South Side of town:
n David DeCastro admitted to having a bad day in Philadelphia from a personal perspective 无毛视频� 无毛视频淵eah, no question无毛视频� 无毛视频� and agreed that Sunday night无毛视频檚 43-16 win over the Kansas City Chiefs was redemptive.
无毛视频淒efinitely the result was,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 a better taste in your mouth.无毛视频�
But from a personal standpoint, how did the All-Pro respond to one of his poorer performances?
无毛视频淚 didn无毛视频檛 approach it any different,无毛视频� DeCastro said. 无毛视频淵ou don无毛视频檛 get down on yourself. It无毛视频檚 in the back of your head, but you don无毛视频檛 let it consume you. You come back and prepare like you always have. The older you get, the more you get used to working week by week and preparing just like every other week.无毛视频�
DeCastro said his performance Sunday night 无毛视频渇or the most part was pretty good, obviously way better than last week.无毛视频�
It may have had something to do with the positive vibe the team received early from his favorite play of the game.
无毛视频淪ammie catching the first go ball on the first series was awesome,无毛视频� DeCastro said. 无毛视频淚t was a good way to start. You get a big play like that, it无毛视频檚 a momentum changer.无毛视频�
n Coates started the third game of his career Sunday night but the first with Markus Wheaton healthy. If that was an indication the coaching staff has confidence in the second-year WR, Coates aimed to make it stick by catching a 47-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger on the first offensive snap.
And it wasn无毛视频檛 just a go ball. Coates came back for it and then outjumped Chiefs No. 1 CB Marcus Peters to make the catch.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 either your ball or nobody无毛视频檚,无毛视频� Coates said of his pass-catching philosophy, which is similar to that of Martavis Bryant, the monstrously talented deep threat who无毛视频檚 sitting out the season on suspension.
无毛视频淢artavis is one of the best at running down deep balls. He无毛视频檚 fast. He无毛视频檚 big. He无毛视频檚 huge,无毛视频� Coates said. 无毛视频淢e, I无毛视频檓 just trying to take advantage of my opportunity.无毛视频�
Coates caught six passes Sunday night for 79 yards 无毛视频� and his average of yards-per-catch dropped. Coates entered the game leading the league with a 29.0 average. Right now he无毛视频檚 fourth at 21.7 yards per catch.
Bryant averaged 21.1 his rookie season and after two seasons his career average is 17.3.
n The young cornerbacks were quiet, and that of course is a good thing, particularly with the No. 3, the slot corner, (Sean Davis) out.
First-round pick Artie Burns was the No. 3 Sunday but played outside and forced Will Gay into the slot.
Justin Gilbert, cast off by the Cleveland Browns, was the sixth DB in the dime and also replaced first-time starting strong safety Jordan Dangerfield sometimes for a 4-corner/1-safety nickel.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e got a really talented group,无毛视频� said Ross Cockrell, one of the wise vets in only his second year. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e got a group of guys who are willing to learn, willing to grow, willing to do whatever it takes to be successful, and I think that hunger is where it starts. They have that and it无毛视频檚 showing in their play.无毛视频�
Gilbert is hungry. He failed in Cleveland as the No. 8 pick of the draft. And failing in Cleveland is akin to being spit out the bottom of the food chain. But he无毛视频檚 regaining his confidence here in Pittsburgh.
无毛视频淚n Cleveland I felt like I was pretty much just thrown in the fire,无毛视频� Gilbert said. 无毛视频淗ere they allowed me to get the defense down, get comfortable, get familiar with it in practice and just go from there. That无毛视频檚 maybe the biggest difference.无毛视频�
Burns was also hungry, but more this week from a redemption standpoint since his tackling the previous game in Philadelphia was atrocious. On Sunday night he made the tackle on the opening kickoff.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 one thing I definitely wanted to improve on,无毛视频� Burns said. 无毛视频淕oing out there and showing I could really tackle was important to me.无毛视频�
Burns also broke up a pass that appeared destined to be a touchdown until he thrust his arm out without seeing the ball deep down the sideline.
无毛视频淚 felt it coming,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淎fter a while covering deep balls, you can feel when the ball无毛视频檚 about to drop and just by reading the receiver无毛视频檚 demeanor. So I knew when it was coming in and I reacted when it dropped.无毛视频�
n Le无毛视频橵eon Bell returned to action after a three-game suspension and a mid-2015 injury to rush for 144 yards on 18 carries. He said he felt comfortable early on.
无毛视频淎fter I was first tackled,无毛视频� said Bell. 无毛视频淚 got a shovel pass and there wasn无毛视频檛 really much there. I got a yard or two, but I was ready after that. I was like 无毛视频極K, everything feels normal无毛视频� and I didn无毛视频檛 even think about it after that.无毛视频�
As the score got out of hand, the cries for his removal rang through social media. But Bell said 无毛视频淚 was trying to stay in. I just wanted to play. I ain无毛视频檛 played in so long. No, they had to pull me for real.无毛视频�
Bell said he avoided Mike Tomlin because he didn无毛视频檛 want to answer any questions or make any eye contact.
无毛视频淚 was trying to have (RBs) Coach Saxon not talk to Coach Tomlin about taking me out. I just wanted to run in and was like, 无毛视频楧on无毛视频檛 say nothing to Coach T.无毛视频� But they ended up pulling me out right after that first carry (of final series).无毛视频�
Bell ripped off a 44-yard run with 7:29 remaining to put him over the 100-yard plateau. The Steelers scored two plays later, and Bell went out for the first play of the next series before getting the hook.
He said he loved everything about the game, especially lining up as a receiver four times with DeAngelo Williams in the backfield.
无毛视频淚 love it. I love it,无毛视频� Bell said. 无毛视频淎nd it无毛视频檚 not even just catching the ball, but even when D-Will无毛视频檚 at running back, just going in there and blocking the safety, because these dudes are hitting me all game so I want the opportunity to go hit them. I love doing everything and utilizing everything that I can do and keeping the defense off balance.无毛视频�
n David Johnson redeemed his career by returning to Pittsburgh after a two-year hiatus, and on Sunday night the tight end caught a short pass from Roethlisberger and scooted straight up the open middle of the field before wrapping both hands around the ball upon impact for a 26-yard gain. It led to the back-breaking fourth Steelers touchdown and a 29-0 halftime lead.
Does D.J. remember the last time he ran that far with the ball?
无毛视频淧robably Baltimore my second year,无毛视频� Johnson said. 无毛视频淚t was the game when Heath (Miller) and (Matt) Spaeth were hurt and me and (Isaac) Redman were playing. Remember that game when he caught the pass at the end of the game? He was twisting off everybody. Ben threw him a little short route and he scored. That game.无毛视频�
Late in the 2010 season, Redman scored a 9-yard touchdown to lift the Steelers to a 13-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Also in that game, Johnson caught a 25-yard pass, but it wasn无毛视频檛 his career long, and neither was the 26-yarder Sunday night. In September of 2013, Johnson caught a 32-yarder against the Chicago Bears. He was injured two games later and done with his first go-around in Pittsburgh.
n B.J. Finney made his first career start against the team this Kansan无毛视频檚 family and circle of friends grew up cheering.
But Finney heard nothing but positives from those back home.
无毛视频淢y phone was going nuts all night,无毛视频� said Sunday无毛视频檚 left guard. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 so thankful for the support of my friends and family.无毛视频�
Finney无毛视频檚 mother and Chiefs-loving uncle made the trip to Pittsburgh, and watched him play well enough for Roethlisberger to compliment him during the QB无毛视频檚 press conference.
无毛视频淎nytime Ben gives anybody a compliment it无毛视频檚 a big deal, so, yeah, I无毛视频檒l take it,无毛视频� Finney said. 无毛视频淏ut I was just doing my job and getting downfield and blocking so we could get a bigger play.无毛视频�
What about his uncle? Was he upset about the thrashing of his Chiefs?
无毛视频淥h, no, he was happy,无毛视频� Finney said. 无毛视频淵eah, he was decked out in Pittsburgh gear and he was happy.无毛视频�
n Eli Rogers spent time last week in a walking boot and missed Sunday night无毛视频檚 game with turf toe. But he was walking without any pain Monday, although he doesn无毛视频檛 sound as if he无毛视频檚 due back to practice.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 walking a lot better than I was before and I feel much better than I did last week,无毛视频� said the first-year slot receiver. 无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 a possibility I could play. There无毛视频檚 always a possibility. We无毛视频檒l take it day by day.无毛视频�
Was he jealous of all the touchdowns being passed around to his buddies?
无毛视频淣ah,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 happy for my team. Reeeaaal happy we got that win. Three and one. It无毛视频檚 a long road, a lot of opportunities. We want that Super Bowl. I want to win that Super Bowl. That无毛视频檚 what I want.无毛视频�
n Tyler Matakevich might be a seventh-round rookie but he无毛视频檚 already taken defensive snaps in addition to his duties as a core member on special teams. And Sunday night he was paid a serious compliment.
无毛视频淚 got to meet Kevin Greene,无毛视频� Matakevich said of Sunday night无毛视频檚 honoree. 无毛视频淪omeone said to him 无毛视频楾his is Tyler无毛视频� and he was like, 无毛视频榊eah, number 44.无毛视频� Then before the game he was like, 无毛视频楬ey, good luck, Tyler.无毛视频�
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a Hall of Famer, one of the greats to ever play the game. Words really can无毛视频檛 describe the feeling. It was such a special moment. To have the opportunity to hang out and talk with a Hall of Famer who knew who I was, that无毛视频檚 honestly surreal.无毛视频�