Green practices for first time
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Two players who didn无毛视频檛 play in Sunday无毛视频檚 loss to the New England Patriots took the practice field Monday for the Steelers in the first of their two bye-week practices.
One was a surprise participant, and the other was Ladarius Green.
Yep, the premier free-agent acquisition from a year ago partook of his very first practice 无毛视频� counting springtime OTAs and minicamp 无毛视频� with the Steelers, who now have three weeks to activate him or keep him on the PUP list the rest of the season.
And the surprise was the quarterback throwing Green passes, Ben Roethlisberger, who missed Sunday无毛视频檚 game after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery to clean up a meniscus issue.
Roethlisberger is hoping to return for the Nov. 6 game at Baltimore, and so is Green. To that end, Roethlisberger, who worked only during the individual practice period, threw the 6-6 tight end some high passes so Green could test the ankle that无毛视频檚 given him so much trouble since last season when he was with the San Diego Chargers.
无毛视频淚 was working on jumping so that was good to get out there and jump,无毛视频� Green said. 无毛视频淗e wanted to see what I could do and I just had to jump up for it and trust it. It held up.无毛视频�
What did he look like?
无毛视频淗e made some nice catches,无毛视频� said rookie safety Sean Davis. 无毛视频淓ver since I无毛视频檝e been here he无毛视频檚 been rehabbing, but for his first time to be out here he looked good.无毛视频�
无毛视频淗e looked great,无毛视频� said safety Jordan Dangerfield. 无毛视频淚t looked like he didn无毛视频檛 miss a beat. I was excited to see him in person for the first time. I think everybody was. He did really good: speed, hands, route-running. I think he无毛视频檚 the full package for a tight end, blocker, too.无毛视频�
Green, who caught 37 passes for 429 yards and four touchdowns last season, was asked if he could play against the Ravens with only six practices.
无毛视频淚 would hope so,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 just have to see how I feel that week and how the coaches feel about it.无毛视频�
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Since the Steelers无毛视频� loss Sunday, the defense has been under attack by those closest to it.
Inside linebacker Ryan Shazier said after the game that 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e looking like garbage.无毛视频� The next day, injured defensive lineman Cam Heyward said, 无毛视频淚t was like we just quit无毛视频� after Rob Gronkowski caught his second long pass, the one that set up the Patriots无毛视频� final touchdown.
Defensive line coach John Mitchell was asked about the commentary, and he merely shrugged.
无毛视频淕uys are free to make their own opinion,无毛视频� said Mitchell. 无毛视频淔reedom of speech. That无毛视频檚 the way they feel. I无毛视频檓 glad they feel that way. Maybe we无毛视频檒l play a little harder.无毛视频�
Mitchell was asked for his opinion.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not pleased with the way we无毛视频檝e played against he run,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淏ut, you无毛视频檝e got to realize when you无毛视频檙e not stopping the run it无毛视频檚 11 guys. It无毛视频檚 not the front. It无毛视频檚 not the linebackers. It无毛视频檚 not the DBs. We无毛视频檝e got to fit properly. The thing that hurt us in the last two games, our proper fits. The guys were not in the gaps they无毛视频檙e supposed to be in, and the good football teams with a good running back, they无毛视频檙e going to find those gaps.无毛视频�
In the last two games, since Heyward无毛视频檚 been out with a hamstring injury, the Steelers allowed opposing rushers 7.1 yards per carry. With Heyward in the lineup, they allowed 4.1 yards per carry.
Are teams exploiting Heyward无毛视频檚 absence?
无毛视频淚 won无毛视频檛 say that,无毛视频� Mitchell said. 无毛视频淏ut it无毛视频檚 the same thing as a quarterback. He sees a rookie or a guy who hasn无毛视频檛 played at corner, he无毛视频檚 going to go at him. That无毛视频檚 just playing football.无毛视频�
SKINNY CORNERS
The Steelers used to draft thicker run-stuffing cornerbacks to patrol their cover-3 zones for whatever came their way. But now, with 197-pound first-round pick Artie Burns playing outside in the team无毛视频檚 primary package, and 191-pound Ross Cockrell on the other side, teams are finding that if they can make it around the corner there无毛视频檚 extra yardage awaiting.
无毛视频淎rtie无毛视频檚 not that skinny,无毛视频� said DBs coach Carnell Lake. 无毛视频淏ut, he (pause) you know, he无毛视频檚 not tackling. He无毛视频檚 having 无毛视频� it无毛视频檚 a wake-up call is what it is. I无毛视频檓 hoping that he takes that challenge and does something with it.无毛视频�
Cockrell appears to have the 无毛视频渨ant-to无毛视频� when it comes to tackling.
无毛视频淩oss is a true pro,无毛视频� Lake said. 无毛视频淗e has the want-to and he doesn无毛视频檛 mind a challenge, whether it无毛视频檚 playing the top receiver, matching up from week-to-week and following that receiver around. For a guy that we got at the beginning of the season last year, was cut by Buffalo, to be our No. 1 guy and is covering big-time receivers is impressive. We still hold a high standard but that, for Ross, that game is still developing for him, too. He无毛视频檚 still a young guy. So I无毛视频檓 not pushing the panic button on any of those guys. They just have to grow up and grow up quickly.无毛视频�
Are teams running wider on the Steelers this season?
无毛视频淚 think any offense would probably not be a good offense if they didn无毛视频檛 challenge perceived weaknesses, or they didn无毛视频檛 try to run on a corner,无毛视频� Lake said. 无毛视频淚f your running game can get downhill on corners all day, they must feel they无毛视频檝e got an advantage, whether they do or not. But that无毛视频檚 where the corner has to make a statement, and so that无毛视频檚 going to be the challenge going forward.无毛视频�