Can the Steelers find Derwin James?
MEMORABLE SERIES MOMENT
Steelers 35, Chargers 24
Jan. 11, 2009, at Heinz Field
The Chargers were off a first-round victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the 2008 playoffs, but came to Heinz Field without Hall of Fame RB LaDainian Tomlinson, out with a groin injury. Philip Rivers had a career-best 105.5 passer rating that season and struck quickly with Vincent Jackson on a 41-yard touchdown pass on the fourth play of the game. But the Chargers无毛视频� second possession ended with Santonio Holmes无毛视频� 67-yard punt return that tied the game. The Steelers无毛视频� 14-10 halftime lead reached 21-10 on Heath Miller无毛视频檚 8-yard touchdown catch in the middle of the third quarter. Darren Sproles returned the ensuing kickoff 63 yards, but Rivers was intercepted by Larry Foote on the next play. The Steelers drove to the 1-yard line but were stopped on fourth down. They got the ball back and put the game away with a Gary Russell 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Willie Parker led all rushers with 146 yards on 27 carries in the Steelers无毛视频� first playoff win on the way to the championship.
TALE OF THE TAPE
无毛视频淢elvin Gordon is out with an injury, so you look at Phil Rivers and I was really struck by how this guy is a complete quarterback in all facets of the game. You see him move people with his head and body fakes and of course play-action. His ball-handling skills and the like set up the corners and safeties. That无毛视频檚 no surprise at this point in his career, but his ability to come off that first read is what I didn无毛视频檛 know. He varies his release point, even when he无毛视频檚 taking on incoming (rushers), and can deliver the ball as he无毛视频檚 coming off that first or second read because he knows he无毛视频檚 got something cooking on his third one. I found that pretty remarkable and it really speaks to why this guy无毛视频檚 playing at such a high level.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Steelers Radio analyst Craig Wolfley.
TOP QUESTION
Can the Steelers find Derwin James?
The immediate task for the Steelers offense is to control bookend pass-rushers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, but they must also be aware of safety Derwin James, a 6-2, 215-pounder whom they drafted with the 17th pick last April. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 the things he无毛视频檚 able to do on and around the line of scrimmage,无毛视频� said Mike Tomlin, 无毛视频渨hether it无毛视频檚 in the run game on first or second down, or whether it无毛视频檚 in the blitz game, or just the general disruption that his presence provides. He无毛视频檚 too big for perimeter people to block and obviously his athleticism is an asset against much bigger people.无毛视频� James is considered the favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
THREE QUESTIONS:
With DT STEPHON TUITT
Q: You guys are going up against Mike Pouncey at center. Will it help to have gone against his identical twin all these years?
ST: 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a good center. I never went against our center, except in practice, not in a game situation. If I went in a game situation against him then I feel I could make a comparison.无毛视频�
Q: So, you无毛视频檙e saying I无毛视频檓 reaching a little bit here?
ST: 无毛视频淵eah. Yeah. I didn无毛视频檛 want to say it that way. You see how polite I am? (Laughs)无毛视频�
Q: You missed a couple of games but you looked strong out there today. Did (assistant strength coach) Marcell (Pastoor) recover from that workout you gave him?
ST: (Laughs) 无毛视频淚 was yanking him around and stuff, 无毛视频楬ey, come be my ragdoll to see if I无毛视频檓 good.无毛视频� (Laughs) But, no, I felt good. It felt good to punch. It felt good to be back out there. I无毛视频檓 excited.无毛视频�
GAME BREAKDOWN
What to look for from the Steelers tonight at Heinz Field:
ON OFFENSE
A healthy Matt Feiler moves back to right tackle 无毛视频� after being replaced by rookie Chuks Okorafor last week 无毛视频� and that might indicate a return to a run-first game plan. Feiler无毛视频檚 forte is run-blocking, and the Chargers put defensive tackle Corey Liuget on injured reserve 10 days ago and will be without nose tackle Brandon Mebane for family reasons. In their places are 300-pound 3-tech Darius Philon and 293-pound nose Damion Square. The Steelers should be able to run on the Chargers and minimize the pass rush of ends Bosa and Ingram and blitzer James.
ON DEFENSE
The Chargers无毛视频� playmaking is reflected in their elite average on completions (13.0), runs (5.0) and plays (6.8). Gordon is out with a sprained MCL, but Austin Ekeler, an undrafted second-year back out of D-2 Western State (Co.), averages 5.8 yards per carry, third in the league, just ahead of Broncos RB Phillip Lindsay. Ekeler also has 32 receptions. QB Rivers still has 38-year-old Antonio Gates at TE with Virgil Green and three quality WRs in Keenan Allen (69 rec., 12.3 avg., 4 TD), Tyrell Williams (28-18.5-5) and Mike Williams (24-17.5-7). Tyrell Williams is questionable with a sore quadriceps.
PREDICTION
The Chargers are 8-3, but are 1-6 the last three seasons in games missed by Gordon. His only miss this season was the Chargers无毛视频� 1-point win at home against the Titans, who failed on a 2-point attempt with 31 seconds remaining. Defensively, the Chargers will be without both of their interior DL, Liuget and Mebane, so the Steelers should have the better of play on both lines of scrimmage. Also, since the Steelers have learned to keep the ball in front of them on defense, it无毛视频檚 hard to see the Chargers无毛视频� big-play ability hurting them much. I see the Steelers running the ball and being laser-focused at the finish/goal line this time. 无毛视频� Steelers, 27-20.
BY THE NUMBERS
3.43: Mike Williams averages a touchdown every 3.43 catches to lead all receivers with at least 20 catches. Williams leads the Chargers with seven receiving touchdowns.
20: Steelers无毛视频� wins in the final month(s) of the last five regular seasons are the most in the NFL.
97: Rivers无毛视频� completion percentage last week in a 28-of-29 performance against the Cardinals. He completed 25 in a row for the NFL in-game record and his completion percentage topped Kurt Warner无毛视频檚 previous record of 92 percent in a 2009 game.
641: Receiving yards out of the slot by JuJu Smith-Schuster leads the NFL.
765: Steelers无毛视频� won-loss percentage in home night games ranks second in the NFL behind the Seahawks无毛视频� .786 percentage.
DOWNLOADS
n The Steelers activated undrafted rookie OLB Ola Adeniyi from IR and released undrafted rookie ILB Matthew Thomas, because OLB Bud Dupree (pectoral) is questionable. Expect Thomas to re-sign with the practice squad early next week.
n The dime linebacker position next to L.J. Fort will be absent Morgan Burnett (doubtful/back), so rookie Marcus Allen out of Penn State should make his NFL debut. The fifth-round pick has been inactive every game. Burnett无毛视频檚 previous backup, CB Cameron Sutton, is questionable for personal reasons.
n If Dupree plays, he and T.J. Watt can compare their stats against the Chargers无毛视频� first-round bookends Bosa and Ingram. In games both have played, Dupree and Watt averaged a combined 1.05 sacks and 0.28 forced fumbles/interceptions per game. When the Chargers无毛视频� duo has played together, they无毛视频檝e combined to average 1.35 sacks and 0.33 forced fumbles/interceptions per game.
n Watt无毛视频檚 older brother Derek Watt, the Chargers无毛视频� fullback, is used in a fashion similar to that of Steelers fullback Rosie Nix, who无毛视频檚 played 88 offensive snaps this season and caught three passes for 36 yards. Nix hasn无毛视频檛 carried and has four tackles on special teams. Watt has played 104 offensive snaps with three carries for three yards, no receptions and three tackles on special teams.
n Michael Badgley will be the second rookie kicker to visit Heinz Field this year (Greg Joseph of Cleveland was 2-for-3). But Badgley, the University of Miami无毛视频檚 all-time leader in field goals, kicked at Heinz Field in college. He was 5-for-5 in a 2015 win over Pitt. His long that day was 48 yards. An in-season signing, Badgley has made all nine field goal attempts for the Chargers with a long of 46. He missed an extra point in the third-quarter of the Chargers无毛视频� 1-point loss to Denver. Of Badgley无毛视频檚 31 kickoffs, 25 have been returned.
n Former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt (2004-06) is in his third consecutive season as Chargers offensive coordinator. The Chargers led the NFL in passing offense last season and are currently seventh 无毛视频� right behind the Steelers (28.7) 无毛视频� in scoring offense at 27.9 points per game. 无毛视频淗e keeps up with what无毛视频檚 going on in the league, the trends that are happening in terms of RPOs and all that stuff, what everybody is doing,无毛视频� said Steelers defensive coordinator and close friend Keith Butler. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 got some motions and shifts and stuff like that that make it difficult. They do a good job of executing it.无毛视频� Whisenhunt interviewed this weekend for the head coaching job at his alma mater, Georgia Tech.
PARTING SHOT
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 hoping this is a ball-up-your-fist, bull-your-neck, handoff-to-James and see-you-in-four-yards type of game.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Steelers Radio Network analyst Craig Wolfley.