Matakevich prepared to step in at ILB
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� The Steelers have made 15 special-teams tackles this season and Tyler Matakevich has five. No one else has more than two.
How did the third-year pro get so good at it?
无毛视频淔irst of all,无毛视频� said the guy teammates call 无毛视频淒irty Red,无毛视频� 无毛视频渨hen I see the ball I无毛视频檓 going to tackle the ball. But you have to have the want and the will to go do it.
无毛视频淭hat stuff无毛视频檚 so important to me. Special teams are so important to me, and I无毛视频檓 treating this the same way, this opportunity. If Vinnie can无毛视频檛 go, we have to be ready to step in.无毛视频�
If Vince Williams remains out with his hamstring injury, Matakevich will make his first professional start at inside linebacker. And the guy who made almost 500 tackles in college doesn无毛视频檛 feel he无毛视频檚 shown yet what he can do at that position.
无毛视频淎bsolutely not,无毛视频� said the third-year pro. 无毛视频淚 know what I无毛视频檓 capable of doing. I just haven无毛视频檛 been able to do that at this level yet. I无毛视频檝e been out there making plays on special teams. That无毛视频檚 one part of the game. On defense, I feel like I haven无毛视频檛 been able to put that on display yet.无毛视频�
Here无毛视频檚 what Matakevich wants to show most of all:
无毛视频淛ust that I can do it,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 know I can do it. I believe in myself. I know these coaches do because they无毛视频檝e been putting me in. Obviously that helps the confidence but at the end of the day you just have to go out there and make the plays.无毛视频�
It will take a committee to replace Williams, and Matakevich led a group Wednesday that included Matthew Thomas, L.J. Fort and Cameron Sutton. Matakevich made his presence known right away with his loud and precise commands.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 really upped his communication skills,无毛视频� said cornerback Mike Hilton. 无毛视频淲hether it无毛视频檚 defense or special teams, he无毛视频檚 always a guy who无毛视频檚 riled up, a guy who无毛视频檚 trying to get guys going and a guy who makes sure everyone无毛视频檚 in the right place.无毛视频�
AB无毛视频檚 SLUMP
Antonio Brown无毛视频檚 targets are way up through the first quarter of the season, but his yardage is down. Way down. In fact, Brown has gained the fewest yards receiving this quarter than any first quarter of a season since he became a starter in 2012.
Brown was targeted 53 times this quarter, but he无毛视频檚 gained only 272 yards on his 29 catches the first four games this season for an average of 9.4 yards per catch. His previous low start to a season was 12.4 ypc. in the first quarter of 2013.
Here无毛视频檚 the breakdown:
n 2017 无毛视频� 53 targets, 29 catches, 272 yards (9.4 avg.), 3 touchdowns.
n 2016 无毛视频� 45 targets, 28 catches, 369 yards (13.2 avg.), 4 touchdowns.
n 2015 无毛视频� 44 targets, 34 catches, 478 yards (14.1 avg.), 2 touchdowns.
n 2014 无毛视频� 39 targets, 29 catches, 427 yards (14.7 avg.), 5 touchdowns.
n 2013 无毛视频� 42 targets, 32 catches, 398 yards (12.4 avg.), 2 touchdowns.
n 2012 无毛视频� 39 targets, 25 catches, 326 yards (13.0 avg.), 1 touchdown.
Ben Roethlisberger was asked if anything无毛视频檚 different with opposing coverages.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e seen so many things in the last nine years it无毛视频檚 hard to show anything differently,无毛视频� said Roethlisberger. 无毛视频淚 think I just have to play better to help him get his numbers, which in turn will help get us wins.无毛视频�
Roethlisberger was asked about a couple of factors that might be responsible for Brown无毛视频檚 lack of explosviness, such as a lack of speed at the opposite receiver since Martavis Bryant is gone.
Roethlisberger shrugged it off.
无毛视频淚 think it really just comes down to me being able to get the ball to them when they无毛视频檙e down the field,无毛视频� he said.
STEELERS TAKE ON PROJECT WATERS
The Steelers signed CB Herb Waters to their practice squad after promoting CB Brian Allen to replace S Nat Berhe, who was placed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury.
Waters caught 99 passes for 1,534 yards (15.5 ypc.) and nine touchdowns as a wide receiver for four years at Miami. At his 2016 pro day he measured 5-11 3/4, 188, ran a 4.51 40, with a 38.5 vertical jump and an impressive 6.73 3-cone time.
He was moved to cornerback by the Green Bay Packers when he made the practice squad in 2016. The cornerback coach, Joe Whitt, explained the move to the Milwauke Journal Sentinel:
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 necessarily look at anything other than skill sets,无毛视频� Whitt said, 无毛视频渁nd he has the skill set that I like. He has long arms, he can bend, he has good balance, he has the height. And so now can we work those skill sets into playing defensive back. That无毛视频檚 my challenge and I无毛视频檓 excited to work with him.无毛视频�
Waters confirmed that he made an interception in his in his first practice. Does he miss playing receiver?
无毛视频淎 little bit,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淏ut God has a plan for me. The pick made up for it a little bit.无毛视频�
Waters played in two games in 2016, but injured his shoulder and missed last season. He was released by the Packers on Sept. 3.
LINEMEN ON LE无毛视频橵EON
A couple of offensive linemen who were critical of Le无毛视频橵eon Bell missing the first week of practice were asked for their feelings on a Jeremy Fowler report that Bell will report during the bye week.
n Maurkice Pouncey: 无毛视频淲e played with Le无毛视频橵eon for several years. He is good friends with a lot of people on the team. We had a lot of great memories with him. When he comes back, he无毛视频檒l be accepted.无毛视频�
n Ramon Foster: 无毛视频淗e shows up, that无毛视频檚 awesome. If he chooses to come later, that无毛视频檚 cool, too. 无毛视频� We无毛视频檒l see how it goes when he gets here. He无毛视频檒l be our teammate.无毛视频�