Steelers who sparkled vs. Falcons
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Finding the Five Standouts through the first half on Sunday didn无毛视频檛 appear to be an easy venture, but the Pittsburgh Steelers rallied in the second half for a 17-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons and made this job easier:
5. MATT FEILER
The offensive tackle from Bloomsburg is now an offensive guard without practice-squad eligibility, so last night无毛视频檚 performance was important for the 6-6, 330-pounder, and it appeared that Feiler rose to the occasion. He blew open a hole early for Fitzgerald Toussaint that should无毛视频檝e gained more than three yards, and just about every time James Conner cut back into the left side he was doing so behind some effective blocking from Feiler, who, with his 50 snaps (83 percent), played more than anyone Sunday with the exception of Conner (54 snaps).
无毛视频淚 was told I was going to get a decent amount of work,无毛视频� said Feiler. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 happy to get that many reps and kind of show them I无毛视频檓 capable of playing a full game.无毛视频�
Feiler started in place of Ramon Foster, who无毛视频檚 needed time off to rehab from offseason knee surgery. With B.J. Finney moving to center to replace Maurkice Pouncey, and Chris Hubbard used as the first tackle off the bench, Feiler was the eighth man last week at practice. But he doesn无毛视频檛 believe that无毛视频檚 an indication of how the coaches are viewing the competition.
无毛视频淣o, not at all,无毛视频� Feiler said. 无毛视频淢unch (OL coach Mike Munchak) pulled me aside earlier and kind of told me 无毛视频榃e want to see what you无毛视频檝e got. Put yourself on film with the other ones, just to kind of get yourself out there in case it doesn无毛视频檛 work out here.'无毛视频�
Feiler took pride in his run-blocking at Bloomsburg, where, as a sophomore left guard he helped establish a PSAC record for rushing yardage. He moved to left tackle his last two seasons and believes he can still play tackle if necessary.
4. MIKE HILTON
The only repeat Top 5er from last week, Hilton very nearly 无毛视频� and probably should have 无毛视频� been credited with the defensive play of the game, but officials ruled that his fourth-quarter hit on QB Matt Simms wasn无毛视频檛 a sack/safety via grounding, but just a quarterback hit and forced incompletion off the arm of defensive lineman Johnny Maxey.
Either way, the third-and-12 play in the Falcons无毛视频� end zone forced a punt to midfield that set up the Steelers无毛视频� game-winning touchdown drive.
无毛视频淚t was a big stop for the defense,无毛视频� said Hilton. 无毛视频淚t changed the game.无毛视频�
Will Gay无毛视频檚 backup at slot cornerback has become a recognized game-changer and playmaker thus far in preseason.
He无毛视频檚 been the first-team punt gunner (Sunday with Brandon Dixon) and has become an exceptional blitzer, which he says comes from listening to the quarterback无毛视频檚 cadence when he无毛视频檚 not blitzing.
Still, Mike Tomlin can无毛视频檛 help but remind Hilton that he无毛视频檚 not even 5-9 when the two are engaged in practice chatter.
When Hilton breaks up a pass, he enjoys dishing it right back to his coach.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 just the confidence I have,无毛视频� Hilton said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 been something I无毛视频檝e been hearing my whole life. It无毛视频檚 nothing new to me. I just go out and perform.无毛视频�
Hilton spent time on the New England practice squad last season. He was asked if he ever talked back similarly to Bill Belichick.
无毛视频淣o, I didn无毛视频檛,无毛视频� Hilton said with a laugh. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 a little different out there. That无毛视频檚 a great organization up there and I无毛视频檓 happy where I无毛视频檓 at. But, no, Belichick doesn无毛视频檛 open his mouth too much.无毛视频�
3. ANTHONY CHICKILLO
The Steelers went from seven sacks in their preseason opener to four sacks Sunday, and Chickillo had two of them, both of Simms.
The first resulted in a 13-yard loss in the second quarter, and the other forced a punt to open the third quarter.
Chickillo, a perpetual 无毛视频渃amp surprise,无毛视频� is having yet another outstanding camp. He无毛视频檚 heard it before, but this time he无毛视频檚 feeling it.
无毛视频淚 felt good last camp, but the first punt of the preseason I hurt my ankle,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淎nkle无毛视频檚 can be nagging, and I 无毛视频� I just feel good now and I just want to keep improving.无毛视频�
Chickillo appears to be aligning himself as the first backup outside linebacker on both sides after working 无毛视频� as set up by Tomlin 无毛视频� this past offseason with Booger McFarland in Tampa.
无毛视频淚 benefitted from that,无毛视频� Chickillo said. 无毛视频淲orking with him and working on my hands, having a plan, using your eyes, hands and feet, making sure they无毛视频檙e all working together. The game is starting to slow down for me.无毛视频�
This was Chickillo无毛视频檚 first two-sack performance since the East-West Shrine Game, when he was trying to show NFL scouts that he had been playing defensive tackle at 285 pounds just to help his team. Chickillo, in his third NFL season, weighs a more comfortable 250.
无毛视频淚 always felt I should play what I play at now in college,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淏ut they asked me to do something different. I like playing this position I无毛视频檓 playing now. I feel a lot better. I feel a lot more explosive.无毛视频�
2. JORDAN DANGERFIELD
无毛视频淒anger无毛视频� almost had his nickname changed to 无毛视频淒ivision I-AA safety无毛视频� by Tomlin last week in practice when Dangerfield allowed Conner to catch a short pass and turn it up for a 45-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the two-minute drill.
But Dangerfield bounced back Sunday with two interceptions in the second half. The first one, late in the third quarter, was a gift from Simms one play after Josh Dobbs had been intercepted by the Falcons.
无毛视频淭he easy ones are the hard ones,无毛视频� Dangerfield said of the pass that appeared to be intended for him. 无毛视频淎sk any defensive player out there, the easy ones are actually the hard ones to catch, so I wanted to make sure I caught it and then started running with it.无毛视频�
Dangerfield returned the interception 18 yards to the Pittsburgh 31. It prevented the Falcons from adding to their 13-10 lead.
After the Steelers had taken a 17-13 lead, Dangerfield无毛视频檚 interception of Alek Torgersen, off the hands of a Falcons running back, sealed the win with 2:14 left.
Dangerfield also rocked a return man on a first-quarter punt. The physical play is a specialty of his as the backup strong safety.
无毛视频淵eah, but I also want to show I can play the ball, too,无毛视频� Dangerfield said. 无毛视频淚 want to show I can cover and that I无毛视频檓 the whole package.无毛视频�
Dangerfield did that Sunday with his first two-interception game since playing high school ball at Royal Palm Beach (Fla.).
1. TREY WILLIAMS
The 5-7 1/2, 200-pound ball of energy and enthusiasm made the play of the game at a position of need for the Steelers.
Williams无毛视频� 64-yard punt return for a touchdown with 4:06 left in the third quarter pulled the Steelers to within 13-10. It was Williams无毛视频� first punt return since playing high school at Dekaney in Houston.
无毛视频淚 feel great, man,无毛视频� said Williams. 无毛视频淩eally just praying and being patient. Going in undrafted and you don无毛视频檛 really have much hype on you, you无毛视频檙e the underdog, you know? I don无毛视频檛 mind being an underdog, though, and I showed my talent. But it无毛视频檚 not just me. I thank The Man every day. I无毛视频檒l continue to push and be patient and wait on my moment.无毛视频�
Williams has now bounced to his sixth team since leaving Texas A&M a year early in 2015. He无毛视频檚 always been a wanted man because of his speed and uplifting attitude, and he无毛视频檚 always come up just shy. But the Steelers have always looked for gadget-type scatbacks, and if one can return punts, he can win a job here.
Williams hopes his big return last night will help, because he dropped a couple of punts at training camp and was asked if that was the reason he only returned kickoffs in college.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not sure why I didn无毛视频檛 return punts there,无毛视频� Williams said. 无毛视频淏ut me dropping punts, that无毛视频檚 just more of a practice thing. It happened in practice. That无毛视频檚 practice. Doing it in the game is different.无毛视频�
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a guy that无毛视频檚 learning to catch punts,无毛视频� said Tomlin. 无毛视频淔orget what he did once he had the ball. I thought he did a good job of judgment and decision-making fielding the ball for a guy with very little experience in that area.无毛视频�
Williams credited Sammie Coates with the key block on his return. Williams returned two other punts (for 13 combined yards) and fair caught two others without a problem. He无毛视频檚 hoping the return will lead to more reps at running back in the next two preseason games.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 just trying to make a name for myself,无毛视频� said Williams. 无毛视频淏een down. I无毛视频檓 just here for the come up.无毛视频�