McDonald chases down Cooper
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Vance McDonald can put together a unique resume these days.
无毛视频淛ust put me in that role every time,无毛视频� he said with a laugh.
That 无毛视频渞ole无毛视频� for McDonald, whom the Steelers acquired 11 days before the opener, is a chase role on blocked kicks.
McDonald, of course, chased down Marcus Cooper after a blocked Steelers field goal attempt bounced directly into his arms at the Chicago 26-yard line with nothing but green grass in front of him.
McDonald, a 267-pound tight end, began to chase as soon as he heard the dreaded 无毛视频渄ouble thud.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚 was going to catch him no matter what,无毛视频� McDonald said of his thought process. 无毛视频淲hether it would happen or not was a different story. But in my mind, I was going to catch him.无毛视频�
McDonald closed on the cornerback, who then slowed drastically upon his approach to the end zone. McDonald无毛视频檚 surety, ironically, changed the closer he got.
无毛视频淚 kind of thought like 无毛视频極K, there无毛视频檚 no way this is really about to happen,无毛视频澪廾悠禈 McDonald said. 无毛视频淚 mean, yeah, he was slowing down, but I thought he at least is going to cross the goal line. Then he didn无毛视频檛, and I was like, 无毛视频榃hat were you thinking?'无毛视频�
McDonald stripped the ball and saved the Steelers four points. It was the second time he had made that kind of play.
In the 2015 season opener, while playing for San Francisco, a Minnesota player blocked a 28-yard field goal attempt. Marcus Sherels of the Vikings picked it up at the 30 and broke into the clear. McDonald sprinted from the same exact spot he played Sunday, crossed the field and pushed Sherels out of bounds at the San Francisco 26. The Vikings missed a subsequent field goal attempt and the 49ers went on to win the game.
That was something the Steelers couldn无毛视频檛 duplicate in Chicago, yet the play was appreciated by coaches.
无毛视频淚 got a table-knock yesterday,无毛视频� McDonald said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 kind of a cool thing in team meetings.无毛视频�
BLAME IT ON BEN
Coming off another sluggish road game, Ben Roethlisberger was asked what changes he would like to see in the offense.
无毛视频淭he quarterback needs to play better,无毛视频� he said.
Roethlisberger did put the first pass of the game, 50-some yards in the air, on the hands of Martavis Bryant 无毛视频� or what would无毛视频檝e been his hands had he extended his arms. But, Roethlisberger persisted.
无毛视频淚 didn无毛视频檛 play well enough to win,无毛视频� he repeated. 无毛视频淚 feel like we lost the game because of me. It无毛视频檚 not on anyone else. That无毛视频檚 how I felt. That无毛视频檚 what you have to do. You have to own it and I无毛视频檒l own it because if I play better in that game, then I feel we win the game.无毛视频�
Roethlisberger completed 22-of-39 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown for a passer rating of 82.7, which approached his average rating (85.6) on the road the past three-plus seasons. His passer rating at home during the same period is 111.2.
无毛视频淚f I play better there are no road woes,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 was just off for last week for whatever reason. I didn无毛视频檛 connect on some passes downfield like I should have, and like I said you get into a comfort zone sometimes of just finding A.B. (Antonio Brown) instead of taking what the defense gives you and what无毛视频檚 better for our offense.无毛视频�
HURRY SUNDOWN
After losing the coin toss before overtime, Roethlisberger turned to find the sun before declaring which side of the field to defend. It seemed like a logical consideration after Bryant and Eli Rogers appeared to have lost the ball in the sun at key moments.
无毛视频淵eah,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said. 无毛视频淛ust trying figure out which way if my receivers had to look into the sun, what was the best way to go about it. All I knew was coach said he wanted them to have the ball first. Then we didn无毛视频檛 talk about which way to go, so I was just trying to make a decision real quick.无毛视频�
BEARS GET BALL FIRST?
The aforementioned comment by Roethlisberger, about giving the Bears the ball first in overtime, passed unnoticed until reporters went back to transcribe tape and realized what was said.
After practice Roethlisberger confirmed the comment.
无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檙e the second or third person to ask me about that,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淵eah, that was right. I was a little bit surprised but I wasn无毛视频檛 about to argue. I kind of understand it a little bit because the defense was playing well and a stop might have given us the ball maybe in good position. It was what it was. It无毛视频檚 his call.无毛视频�
The Steelers, though, lost the coin flip, the Bears took the ball and, of course, drove for a touchdown.
ANTHEM FLAP
Alejandro Villanueva is angry at the media following the anthem controversy in which a mere 20 feet of separation between him and his teammates has resulted in a nonstop diatribe from both ends of the political spectrum. Villanueva indicated Wednesday that he was done talking to the media, and punctuated a quiet, one-on-one conversation with 无毛视频淚 just want to play football无毛视频� before leaving the locker room.
Maurkice Pouncey, who lockers next to Villanueva, said he understands his friend无毛视频檚 frustration.
无毛视频淚f people only knew what a great guy he is,无毛视频� Pouncey said. 无毛视频淗e volunteered to help some of the guys move over the summer, and that无毛视频檚 just off the top of my head. He无毛视频檚 always doing things like that. He无毛视频檚 truly a great, great guy. What无毛视频檚 happening to him isn无毛视频檛 fair, especially for a guy who无毛视频檚 gone out there and put his life on the line for this country. But I无毛视频檓 sure this stuff will pass. We无毛视频檒l get this stuff straightened out.无毛视频�
How will the Steelers handle the anthem before Sunday无毛视频檚 game in Baltimore?
无毛视频淓verybody无毛视频檚 going to be out there,无毛视频� said Cameron Heyward. 无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 know what无毛视频檚 going through everybody无毛视频檚 head, but everybody无毛视频檚 going to be out there. We无毛视频檙e focused on trying to beat Baltimore, and we无毛视频檒l pay tribute to our flag.无毛视频�
INJURY REPORT
The following Steelers did not participate in Wednesday无毛视频檚 practice: RB Le无毛视频橵eon Bell (not injury related), WR Martavis Bryant (illness), SS Sean Davis (ankle), G Ramon Foster (thumb), FS Mike Mitchell (hamstring) and QB Ben Roethlisberger (not injury related).
Limited at practice were: OLB Bud Dupree (shoulder) and TE Jesse James (shoulder).
Back to work for the Steelers were: RT Marcus Gilbert (hamstring), DE Stephon Tuitt (biceps) and OLB T.J. Watt (groin).