Steelers off to good start in preseason
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� The Steelers are 2-0 this preseason 无毛视频� like the 2010 team, like the 2005 team.
Should fans begin making Super Bowl plans?
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a good start,无毛视频� Cam Heyward said with a friendly shake of the head. 无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 put all my eggs in the basket that way. But we无毛视频檙e winning games and still learning a lot 无毛视频� whether it无毛视频檚 up front, being more sound in our assignments. I thought we got some good pressure on the quarterback.无毛视频�
Heyward无毛视频檚 excited about the mental acuity of his defensive teammates. They kept the vaunted Chiefs offense and NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes off the scoreboard for two series before Mahomes was replaced at QB Saturday night.
The Steelers didn无毛视频檛 sack Mahomes, but they got to Chad Henne on the third series when Bud Dupree got 无毛视频渉ome无毛视频� on a stunt with Heyward.
无毛视频淲e talk about our communication on the fly,无毛视频� Heyward said. 无毛视频淲e were able to do that (stunt) and just execute it really well.无毛视频�
Heyward emphasized the improvement in communication, but was asked if this might be the most athletic defensive unit of his pro career.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 interesting,无毛视频� Heyward said. 无毛视频淚 like to think that before Shay got hurt (in 2017) we were approaching good territory then. We无毛视频檒l see. Only time will tell. But we无毛视频檝e got a good foundation, a good group of guys. I think our technique has improved a lot, from the front end to the back end. Hopefully that translates to winning some more games.无毛视频�
Heyward无毛视频檚 impression of Devin Bush?
The rookie inside linebacker/playcaller out of Michigan missed the K.C. game with a sore shoulder but returned to practice this week.
无毛视频淲e haven无毛视频檛 had a chance to play on the field together,无毛视频� Heyward said. 无毛视频淚 think he无毛视频檚 a heck of a kid. Shoot, watching him the first game I was like 无毛视频楧amn, this kid has a lot of talent.无毛视频� And I don无毛视频檛 like saying that about a lot of Wolverines.无毛视频�
Heyward, of course, attended Ohio State.
SKIPPER OF THE BOAT
He was born in the Bronx, bounced from group homes to foster homes since the age of six, attended three elementary schools, two middle schools and three high schools in Connecticut, went back to New York for junior college, received a scholarship from Toledo, tore his ACL as a junior, came back as a senior season and led the Rockets with 8.5 sacks.
He无毛视频檚 seen the underbelly of life, but has been able to sidestep it because he无毛视频檚 driven to play in the NFL.
But Tuzar Skipper wasn无毛视频檛 drafted, wasn无毛视频檛 signed. He only became one of Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 90 this year after impressing coaches in a tryout at rookie minicamp.
After two preseason games, Skipper two sacks, five tackles, five QB hits and a fumble recovery. Teammates are bringing up the name James Harrison to him.
无毛视频淭hey do, but I just want to be myself,无毛视频� said the 24-year-old rookie. 无毛视频淚 just want people when they talk about me to talk about me, not other past players.
无毛视频淒on无毛视频檛 get me wrong. He无毛视频檚 a Hall of Famer. No disrespect to him. But I just want to be Tuzar.无毛视频�
Skipper certainly smiles more easily than Harrison. But the 6-2 3/8, 248-pounder does have Harrison-like strength. At his pro day, Skipper only ran a 4.89 40, but with long 33-inch arms he pushed up the bar (225 pounds) 30 times. That无毛视频檚 O-line strong.
While he无毛视频檚 not much for dropping back into coverage, Skipper无毛视频檚 more of a defensive end whose best pass-rushing asset is a punch that jumps out on preseason tape when he staggers opposing tackles.
无毛视频淢y high school coach always said I had a punch,无毛视频� Skipper said. 无毛视频淚 never really knew what he meant by that in high school. You无毛视频檙e young and you don无毛视频檛 really know. You think you know everything, but you really don无毛视频檛. And then once I got to Division One, to Toledo, I realized how effective that punch can be. Now that I无毛视频檓 here at the ultimate level, I realize, 无毛视频極K, this punch is something serious.无毛视频� It无毛视频檚 not like a little punch. It无毛视频檚 something really serious.无毛视频�
Skipper has used it to step into the second team as a replacement for former college teammate Ola Adeniyi, who无毛视频檚 expected to miss a month following meniscus surgery.
Does Skipper have a nickname yet?
无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檙e the second person to ask me about a nickname within 24 hours,无毛视频� he said with a laugh. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 waiting for them to give me one. I just want to go out there and give them a show. Whatever nickname they give me that无毛视频檚 suitable, I无毛视频檒l rock with it. They call me Tooz, Skip, Zar. Usually it无毛视频檚 more like Zar, Skip. I don无毛视频檛 mind being called Skipper. Once they call Skipper, I let them know I无毛视频檓 the captain of this boat now.无毛视频�
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 been a bright spot,无毛视频� said Heyward. 无毛视频淗e plays with good pad level. He无毛视频檚 making a lot of plays. Not a lot can be said in just two preseason games, but I like his attention to detail when it comes to pass rush.无毛视频�
POUNCEY: FEILER THE RT
Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro returned to practice this week and according to Pouncey we saw the starting line out there as Matt Feiler moved back to right tackle after a week-plus spent playing both right and left guard.
无毛视频淭he guys were looking good out there,无毛视频� Pouncey said. 无毛视频淓verybody无毛视频檚 passing things out the right way, running the ball the right way. Really good practice.无毛视频�
And Feiler无毛视频檚 the first-team right tackle?
无毛视频淥h yeah, hell yeah,无毛视频� Pouncey said. 无毛视频淗e was starting last year. He went out and balled out. To take that position, you gotta go out there and be an All-Pro. He deserves it.无毛视频�
ROOKIE LB REPORT
Sutton Smith returned to practice this week. The sixth-round pass-rusher who compiled 29 sacks and 56.5 tackles-for-loss the last two seasons at Northern Illinois missed the first two preseason games with a rib injury.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 definitely eating at me,无毛视频� Smith said. 无毛视频淚 want to get out there. It无毛视频檚 football time. I无毛视频檓 ready to go.无毛视频�
Another sixth-round pick, ILB Ulysees Gilbert, also out of the MAC, the University of Akron, is coming off his second impressive preseason showing, this time much earlier and against better competition.
In two games, Gilbert has six tackles (five solo), 1.5 sacks, four QB hits, a forced fumble and a special teams tackle. He also showed off athleticism and instincts in a couple of other plays Saturday night.
In one, Gilbert ran stride for stride with speedy slot receiver Mecole Hardman, and in another Gilbert backed off a block that allowed Diontae Spencer a 38-yard punt return.
无毛视频淚 just tried to get in front of the ball and put my hands up so I wouldn无毛视频檛 hit (the punt gunner) in the back, and it was perfect,无毛视频� Gilbert said.
Gilbert无毛视频檚 impression of Spencer as a return man?
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 really good,无毛视频� Gilbert said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 fast.无毛视频�
Like Hardman? The speedster out of Georgia?
无毛视频淣umber 17, right?无毛视频� Gilbert asked. 无毛视频淵eah, Coach (James) Daniels was talking about him today, said he runs like a 4.2, 4.3.无毛视频�
Gilbert was timed by the Steelers at 4.46 at his pro day, and that speed has been evident on the field.