Brilliant red zone D and a JuJu bomb save Steelers in Detroit

Jeremy FowlerESPN Staff Writerhttp://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/October 30, 2017

Tyson Alualu sacks Matthew Stafford in the third quarter of Sunday's win in Detroit.(http://www.steelers.com/photos/)

DETROIT -- Don't steal JuJu's bike.

Backed up at their own 3, dared to do something after the Detroit Lions went for it on fourth-and-goal at the 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers erased nearly three quarters of missed opportunities with one perfect play up the middle.

Ben Roethlisberger squeezed a pass between the corner and safety and into the hands of JuJu Smith-Schuster, whose 97-yard touchdown completed the cycle for the Steelers' first half of the season after a 20-15 victory over the Detroit Lions.

Three stout goal-line stops in the second half sealed the game for a Pittsburgh defense with a little too much bend after Matthew Stafford threw for 423 yards.

After all, Pittsburgh (6-2) had shown almost everything this year, winning games with toughness, timely defense, and Le'Veon Bell in the running game. The Steelers' three goal-line stops flustered Stafford despite all those passing yards.

But this was the final piece -- the dagger play for a huge score when the team absolutely needed it.

With a rookie who wants to make the play.

"It's primetime, it's 8:30, everyone's watching," said Smith-Schuster of the touchdown with 3:15 left in the third. "Those huge catches get you in a rhythm and we were able to get it done."

To punctuate his 193-yard breakout performance, Smith-Schuster -- who famously documented the stealing of his bicycle during the week on social media -- sealed the game by connecting with Roethlisberger on a shovel pass play on third-and-1 with less than 1:29 left.

For a quarterback who started the year 2-of-19 on passes longer than 30 yards, Roethlisberger (17-of-31, 317 yards) finally got that touchdown bomb that loosens up the offense. He had missed a few throws Sunday at Ford Field, but big plays can offset woes in a matter of seconds. With Martavis Bryant on the sidelines and wanting a trade, Antonio Brown seeing an opposing safety help cover him all day and Le'Veon Bell contained (25 carries, 76 yards), Smith-Schuster backed up his desire for more fantasy football plays during the week.

The defense did the rest.

Some defenses don't get more than three goal-line stops in a season. But the Steelers have a knack for it, and it has catapulted them to two straight road wins. The Lions had first-and-goal from the 4 twice and managed three points. And on the final series, fourth-and-goal from the 8, linebacker Ryan Shazier nearly had an interception on the turnover of downs.

Linebacker Vince Williams, who had eight tackles, said coach Mike Tomlin challenged the defense during the week, telling players their red zone defense "sucked."

Instead of pouting, the defense took their problems out on Detroit.

"I felt like they were trying us. It's disrespectful," said Williams about the Lions' fourth-down tries at the goal. "(Matt) Prater's a great kicker. You better run him out here or ya'll aren't about to get any points."

The Steelers' defense let the Lions move the ball downfield thanks to some missed tackles and receivers running down the sideline. Facing a true, high-level pocket passer for one of the first times this year, the Steelers appeared to miss some assignments and struggled to get quarterback pressure. But third-down defense was good enough to overcome those problems, holding the Lions to 2-of-12 on the crucial down.

The goal line stop with 4:47 left in the third quarter was especially stout. Several front-seven players blew up a running play on third down, and on fourth the Steelers smartly matched up three defenders with two wideouts to take away the look Matthew Stafford wanted, resulting in a Tyson Alualu Sack.

Overall, the game felt chaotic and rushed with each team struggling to take ownership of it. Take out the 97-yarder and the missed chances were plentiful. Three drives of 50-plus yards resulted in 10 first-half points, with Eli Rogers dropping a sure touchdown and Roethlisberger overthrowing a wide-open Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Great red-zone defense and one JuJu bomb erased mistakes and set the 6-2 Steelers off into the bye.

Not playing great and winning is a powerful thing, and the Steelers are perfecting it.

"Offensively at least, that kinda feels like it's been the story of our season so far," Roethlisberger said. "Going to the bye at 6-2 feels really good. It can be frustrating at times offensively because we're not executing the way we want to, but we're finding ways to win football games."

Steelers' JuJu Smith-Schuster puts win over Lions on lock

By Kevin Gorman

http://triblive.com/sports/

October 30, 2017

(http://www.steelers.com/photos/)

DETROIT

JuJu Smith-Schuster went from serving as a prop for the Steelers to stealing the spotlight on NBC'sSunday Night Football.

Smith-Schuster made the play in the Steelers' 20-15 victory over the Lions at Ford Field and a subsequent touchdown celebration that showed he learned a lesson with his stolen-bike saga.

JuJu put this one on lock.

After serving as the bench for Le'Veon Bell's bench-press touchdown skit, the 20-year-old rookie receiver turned a third-down pass into a 97-yard touchdown and provided what proved to be the winning points.

Smith-Schuster even celebrated by wrapping a stationary bike in a chain.

“It was a huge opportunity, not only to show what I'm capable of doing,” Smith-Schuster said, “but to show the world what the Steelers are able to do. I felt like we did that.”

So ended a whirlwind week for Smith-Schuster, who made headlines with his hide-and-seek touchdown celebration against Cincinnati, his handling of Martavis Bryant's post-game criticism on social media and his beloved bike being stolen.

With Bryant benched by Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, Smith-Schuster started the game with a 41-yard catch on the opening play. He finished with seven receptions on 10 targets for 193 yards.

“He's not playing like a rookie,” Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “He's playing like a seasoned veteran, and it's fun to watch. Maybe he's too young and too silly and too fun to know any better, but I'll tell you what: We love him, and we just hope we keep getting great play from him.”

The greatest play came soon after the Steelers made a momentum-changing, goal-line stand by sacking Matthew Stafford on fourth-and-goal at the 1.

The Lions showed a defense with two safeties deployed high, a similar look to what the Steelers had seen earlier in the game. On that play, Smith-Schuster tried to juke the defender.

“I told him, ‘Listen, next time you get that look, beat 'em with speed.' He did that,” Roethlisberger said. “I told him I didn't know he had that much speed. He said he didn't know, either.”

Not only did it tie a club record for longest scoring play, it set one for longest catch in Steelers history.

After the game, Smith-Schuster tweeted the NFL Draft scouting report on himself: “Will struggle to separate from NFL CBS, not a deep threat, not a precise route runner.”

Tomlin called the 97-yard touchdown an “enormous play,” saying Smith-Schuster “did a nice job creating separation and making the throw easy for Ben.”

What impressed Roethlisberger most was not that Smith-Schuster outran three Lions but that he dwelled on a third-and-7 drop early in the fourth quarter.

“He had a great game — a Steeler record for longest pass play — and he was kind of beating himself up over a drop on third down late in the game,” Roethlisberger said. “To me, that was encouraging. He could've sat in there and said, ‘I had a great game. I had this big play. I made all these big plays.' But he's sitting there on the one he didn't make that potentially could've sealed it. ...

“For him to show that much maturity, be selfless and put the team first, that's what I like to see the most.”

The Steelers continue to marvel at the maturity of Smith-Schuster, a second-round pick from Southern Cal whose approach and attitude are a refreshing break from NFL diva receivers.

Tight end Xavier Grimble called him “genuinely a kid at heart. He's having a ball. You can tell he loves the team, loves to be here and just comes to work and works hard.” Added center Maurkice Pouncey: “We can't be more lucky to have a kid like that on our team.”

A kid who showed that no moment is too big and that he has some serious wheels.

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at kgorman@tribweb.comor via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.

MORE STEELERS/NFL

JuJu Smith-Schuster scores record-long TD, Steelers hold off Lions 

Chris Adamski's gameday grades from Steelers' win over Lions 

Steelers defense holds firm inside the red zone to key win over Lions 

Le'Veon Bell's newest TD celebration: A tribute to James Harrison? 

Kevin Gorman's Take 5: Steelers, Lions fail to capitalize on big plays, leading to first-half FG fest

Lack of a backfield brute bites Lions

Bob Wojnowski
http://www.detroitnews.com/sports/lions/
October 30, 2017


Dwayne Washington is stopped short of the goal line in the third quarter of Sunday's game in Detroit. (Daniel Mears/Detroit News)

Detroit — This is what the Lions still are, until further notice. They’re Paper Lions, capable of fancy catches and shiny stats, but incapable of making the toughest plays at the toughest times.

They were right there at the Pittsburgh 1 twice in the second half, and they might as well have been at the 50, on the cusp but not really close. The Steelers stuffed them and hung on for a 20-15 victory Sunday night at Ford Field, the type of game Pittsburgh always seems to win — and Detroit always seems to lose.

With four losses in five games, they’re in danger of becoming the pauper Lions (3-4), beaten down physically. Matthew Stafford threw for 423 yards and his receivers made all sorts of scintillating catches, and yet somehow, when the field shrunk, the Lions shrunk with it. They piled up 482 total yards on the NFL’s second-ranked defense and never put the ball in the end zone.

Three times in the second half the Lions had the ball inside the Steelers 6 and incredibly scored a total of three points. Jim Caldwell and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter kept guessing wrong and Stafford couldn’t make the big play when it was absolutely necessary. In those situations, he has to make the play, because the Lions inexcusably still lack one notable option.For way too long, they haven’t brought in a power back or developed a bruising offensive line to smash for short yardage, especially at the goal line. Without a dependable running game of any type, the Lions can’t make the slightest timing errors in the red zone, and can’t pretend to be something they’re not.

Caldwell made that mistake on the first fourth-and-1 in the third quarter, when a Matt Prater field goal would’ve given them a 15-13 lead, the sensible call to make. Perhaps it was the bravado of a hotly competitive game, or the frustration of already settling for four Prater field goals, but Caldwell made the wrong call, even after given time to think about it when tackle Rick Wagner left briefly with an injury. On fourth down, the Steelers dropped seven guys into the end zone and Stafford couldn’t find anyone open, finally stumbling down at the 2.

Hitting a wall

“The fact of the matter is, we gotta be able to get it in, one way or another,” Caldwell said. “We tried several different ways and we gotta keep trying. I think we’re capable, we just didn’t do it.”

More: Justin Rogers’ Lions grades: Coaches fall short

The Lions tried to do what the Steelers do — pound it in after gaining a first down at the 4. Dwyane Washington has been anointed the power back and gained 3 yards and no yards, and Stafford threw an incompletion on second down before his fateful scramble on fourth down. The Steelers then took over and Ben Roethlisberger promptly hit JuJu Smith-Schuster down the middle for 97 yards and the clinching touchdown.It was stirring what the Lions did at times against the Steelers’ terrific secondary, with Marvin Jones catching six passes for 128 yards. Golden Tate had seven receptions for 86 yards but lost a crucial fumble at the Steelers’ 24 in the fourth quarter.

“I think we had some good calls, we were close on Dwayne’s runs twice,” Stafford said. “Rarely is it schemed up perfect, guys just gotta go out there and make plays, that’s me included. … If we’d have put it in the end zone, you’d have called this a breakout performance. We got inside the 10 and didn’t put the ball in the end zone for one reason or another, but from the 20 to the 20, we were playing as good a football as we have this year, I think.”

Every time the Lions got near, they botched something. It was a shame, really, because Pittsburgh was ripe to be plucked. Roethlisberger missed some wide-open receivers and Le’Veon Bell was punishing but only rushed for 76 yards. Bell is the type of bell-cow who chews yards when an offense otherwise might sputter. Whether it’s a bell-cow, a workhorse or any other label for a power runner, the Lions don’t have it.

No drive

Caldwell got testy when asked why the little-used Washington had assumed that role. Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick are nifty backs but they’re complementary, not battering backs, and they combined for only 48 yards rushing.

The Lions’ personnel pushes Caldwell and Cooter into unconventional positions, amplifying calls that don’t work. Early in the fourth quarter, the Lions again drove for a first down at the Pittsburgh 4, and again tried to hammer it in. After a Stafford incompletion, Washington was stuffed for gains of 2 and 1. This time, Caldwell attempted to correct the earlier mistake and instead doubled down on it. Rather than try for the potential tying touchdown, he sent Prater out for a 19-yard field goal, shaving the Steelers’ lead to 20-15 with 12:54 remaining.

The Lions were two-for-12 on third downs, and with their latest failures, they’re 0-for-6 on fourth downs this season.

More: Niyo: Lions, Ebron need to part ways now

“We tried to be aggressive and go after it the first time around,” Caldwell explained. “And the game was a little later the next time, so we kicked it. We had a chance to win it a couple times, we just couldn’t get it done.”

Finally, one more time, the Lions drove to a third-and-5 at the Pittsburgh 6 with 2:06 left. This mistake was on Stafford, who checked into a draw play for Riddick, who was tackled for a 2-yard loss. After the two-minute warning, Stafford was pressured on fourth down and threw short of Eric Ebron.

That was it, three prime chances in a prime-time game for the Lions to prove they could slug with one of the NFL’s best, and in the tightest corners, they swung and missed. There’s nothing wrong with taking the big swing, but when it’s not who you truly are, you can’t forget what you do better.

2017 LIONS SCHEDULE

The Lions’ makeshift line, with Brian Mihalik at left tackle, did a decent job protecting Stafford, who was sacked twice. The receivers got open and ran well after the catch. Even Ebron, the subject of trade rumors, got loose for a 44-yard reception on the final, ill-fated drive.

The Lions have shifty skill-position players, not big, bulky bashers. That’s a flaw that still must be worked around. Until they add those sorely needed elements, they’ll continue to be close, on the edge of something, wondering how they possibly can punch their way in.

bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com

Twitter.com/bobwojnowski

Blame Jim Caldwell for Detroit Lions' loss; he should have kicked FGs

Jeff Seidel
http://www.freep.com/sports/lions/
October 30, 2017



Artie Burns scoops up Golden Tate's fourth-quarter fumble (Kirthmon F. Dozier (DFP)

Clearly, Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell didn’t get the memo.

This was a field-goal kicking challenge.

It was Matt Prater’s game to win, with his foot.

All the Lions had to do was keep kicking field goals, and they could have beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Ford Field. Get into the red zone. Get what you can get from your excellent kicker. Stay alive. Stay close.

But Caldwell messed it up, and the Lions lost, 20-15.

Now, let me set the stage.

Late in the third quarter, Caldwell decided to go all river-boat gambler and go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1.

He made this decision on a night when the Lions couldn't do anything in the red zone.

He made this decision on a night when the Lions couldn’t do anything near the goal line, against a tough Steelers defense. 

He made this decision moments after his injury-depleted offensive line lost right tackle Rick Wagner to an injury (he later returned).

He did this at a time when he didn’t need to risk it. This was not a wild shootout. The Steelers were not lighting up the scoreboard. At that stage, Ben Roethlisberger was missing wide-open receivers, and a  field goal would have given the Lions a 15-13 lead.

But Caldwell rolled the dice and kept his offense on the field, at a time when he had two back-ups playing on the offensive line.

Yes, two back-ups. That makes it all the more puzzling. You probably know what happened next.

It was the moment you screamed in frustration at this Lions team, which felt awfully familiar.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford dropped back to pass. Marvin Jones was being guarded by Joe Haden, who had safety help over the top.

“They dropped eight guys, seven guys into coverage in that play,” Stafford said. “They doubled (Eric) Ebron, or played three for two over the left. I think they did a nice job on (Darren) Fells over the middle. I thought I had a chance to make a play to Dwayne (Washington) or run it in. As I was about to do something, I got hit.”

Everybody was covered. A hole opened up and Stafford decided to run for it.

And he was tackled for a loss.

“I thought I had a chance to step up and make a play,” Stafford said. “Their guys did a great job of rallying and tackling me.”

From that point on, everything changed. Three plays later, the Lions were chasing JuJu Smith-Schuster on a 97-yard TD catch. And the Lions were chasing the Steelers the rest of the game.

“Against a team like that, against a good football team, unless you score touchdowns, it’s very difficult to beat them kicking field goals all day,” Caldwell said.

I would understand that philosophy in a wild shootout, but not this game. Not in the third quarter. Not at a time when the Lions had a chance to take the lead.

And then he changed his philosophy later in the game.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Lions faced fourth-and-goal from the 1. And this time, Caldwell decided to kick it and Prater booted a 19-yarder.

“We tried to be aggressive and go for it the first time around,” Caldwell said. “The game was a little bit later on, the next time around, so we kicked it and still gave ourselves a chance to win it a couple of times, just couldn’t get it done. A turnover and just ineffectiveness.”

Put it another way: The truth dawned on him.

The Lions failed five times in the red zone and three times in goal-to-go situations. Clearly, giving the ball to backup running back Dwayne Washington wasn’t working.

“We missed here and there,” Caldwell said. “We didn’t protect well enough down there. We didn’t run the ball well enough down there. 

One thing that shouldn’t be lost in this game was the play of the offensive line, at least outside of the red zone. Stafford was sacked just two times, despite passing behind a makeshift line that started Brian Mihalik at left tackle. 

Mihalik played the first 27 offensive snaps of his career two weeks ago against the Saints. 

“I think Mihalik came in and played really well,” Stafford said. “He stepped in against a good front. Those guys get after the quarterback, bring a bunch of blitzes.”

Backs were coming up and stopping the blitz, and for the most part the line did a solid job in protection. Stafford threw for 423 yards, but he just couldn’t get the Lions into the end zone.

“There are positives to take away from this,” Stafford said.  “But there is obviously some negatives we have to clean up…. I think, if we would have put it into the end zone, you would have called it a breakout performance.”

Instead, it was a breakdown performance. 

A game when the Lions were left kicking themselves.

For not kicking it when they had the chance.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel/

More Lions-Steelers:

Detroit Lions reaction: Offense becomes punching bag for red-zone woes

Detroit Lions report card: Down day for RBs, WRs in loss to Steelers

Lions plot to derail Antonio Brown's 'boomin' business'

By Justin Rogers
http://www.detroitnews.com/sports/lions/
October 27, 2017


Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Allen Park — Business is boomin’ for Antonio Brown. Then again, it’s been boomin’ for some time for the Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver and former Central Michigan standout.

He’s been named to four consecutive Pro Bowls and three straight All-Pro teams. He’s twice led the league in receptions, once in receiving yardage and he’s topping the NFL in both categories seven weeks into this season.

Brown’s 52 catches for 765 yards are both currently pacing the league, and there’s something of a chasm between him and Cincinnati’s A.J. Green, who is second in yardage, with 545.

Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell, another local product, out of Michigan State, have consistently made the Steelers one the league’s most potent offenses.

“We expect our A players to play ‘A’ as they say,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “Those guys are being consistent, positive, contributors to our efforts. But that’s what come to be expected from them. I think they do a nice job of wearing those expectations and really wanting to be central figures. I think it’s within the personality of both of those guys, and I think it’s one of the reasons why they’re unique contributors.“

What makes Brown elite is his well-rounded skill set. He’s not a receiver that does one or two things well, he seemingly does everything well.

“Antonio is always an explosive guy,” safety Glover Quin said. “Get him the ball, he can make things happen. Screen passes, he can beat you deep, he runs great routes.”

The 5-foot-10, 181-pounder is equally lethal on short throws as he is running deep routes. He leads all receivers in yards after the catch, which speaks volumes for his elusiveness in the open field and puts a premium on tackling in the secondary. He also puts his jets to good use taking the top off the defense.

And the Steelers love to test opposing defenses vertically. Brown has been targeted deep — passes at least 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage — 20 times, more than anyone in the league.

“Just a different kind of individual because of the fact that he’s got unbelievable speed, just a world-class speed in that regard, just can flat go,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. “But then also he’s quick as you could possibly think a receiver should be. I mean he can stop on a dime, adjust, change direction when (quarterback) Big Ben (Roethlisberger) is biding time, he finds open areas.

“He can make you miss. He can run away from you. I mean he can do it all.”

The Lions are expected to counter with Darius Slay. The typically bombastic cornerback downplayed individual matchup and declined to confirm he’d shadow Brown, but given the team’s usage of their top cover option, that’s more than likely going to be part of the game plan.

“Yeah, we had him up here in training camp last year,” Brown told Pittsburgh reporters on Friday. “Great corner, top corner, great competitor. …Looking forward to seeing a lot of him coming this weekend.”

Slay has faced a gauntlet of top receivers this season, from Julio Jones to Odell Beckham to Michael Thomas to Kelvin Benjamin, and with each of those matchups, he’s generally followed them, instead of sticking to the left side of the field, like he normally would.

Slay is off to a good start this year, as well. He admittedly had a few breakdowns against Benjamin, conceding a long touchdown on a tightly covered deep ball, and getting outmuscled for the game-sealing third down, but individually, he’s held each of those four top-tier receivers to an average of three catches and 35 yards. Benjamin is the only one who scored.

“I think I’ve been playing pretty solid, doing my job just as the coaches need me to do,” Slay said. “They’re satisfied and I’m very satisfied. I’m going to keep climbing and help this team keep winning.”

Slay leads the Lions with eight pass defenses and three interceptions. He will have his work cut out for him Sunday night. Brown has been targeted at least nine times in each of the first seven games and has topped 100 yards in four of those contests.

“There ain’t much I can say that y’all don’t already know,” Slay said. “He’s a very exciting player, very important to his team and a serious game-changer.”

If Slay can keep that game-changing ability in check, if he can slow down Brown's boomin' business, it would go a long way toward the Lions being able to knock off the Steelers, snap a two-game losing streak, and keep pace in the wide-open NFC North race.

jdrogers@detnews.com

More: Lions vs. Steelers preview: Don't get caught stargazing

Detroit Lions must protect Matthew Stafford better; but here come Steelers

By Jeff Seidel
http://www.freep.com/sports/lions/
October 26, 2017



Saints' Alex Okafor gets past Greg Robinson (73) to force a fumble on Matthew Stafford in the first quarter that was recovered for a Saints touchdown at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 15, 2017 in New Orleans. (Photo: Jonathan Bachman, Getty Images)

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford walked briskly across the room and sprang onto the podium on Wednesday afternoon in Allen Park. It was apparent the bye week did wonders for his battered body. He looked refreshed and sounded rejuvenated.

“I needed to take care of myself a little bit physically and mentally refresh,” Stafford said on Wednesday. “Get away for a little bit and think about something other than football for a couple days, and that was what I did and I feel better now."

Stafford has been a walking piñata this season. He has been sacked 23 times, the second most in the NFL and the most of any quarterback in just six games.

The last time I saw Stafford, he walked slowly through the locker room in New Orleans, after getting pummeled by the Saints. He was sacked five times and hit a total of seven times. He looked totally exhausted – physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

But after a week off, Stafford looked revived.

“I think it’s good,” Stafford said, of the bye. “I think guys had some stuff to take care of, start feeling a little bit better.”

Now, the question is, can the Lions keep him this way?

My gut says: Not with this battered offensive line, not on Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Lions have lost three of their past four games. If they have any shot at snapping out of this funk, they have to protect Stafford.

You don’t enter a Mercedes in a demolish derby, and that’s what they have been doing with Stafford.

In the first two games, the Lions were able to protect their star quarterback, allowing just four total sacks. The Lions won both games. But in the last four games, he has been sacked 19 times and he’s fumbled five times. In those games, he has completed just 56% of his passes.

“I can be better in getting the ball out a little bit quicker and helping everybody out,” Stafford said.

Maybe.

But everything is tied together.

The Lions’ offensive line has been decimated by injuries. The running game has disappeared – basically, the Lions have been reduced to running to the right. Also, they have to find a way to get the receivers open downfield. And Stafford isn’t helping anything by fumbling the ball.

New Orleans blitzed the heck out of Stafford, which has proved to be an effective strategy. He has a 73.2 passer rating against blitzes, which is 25th in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.

“I wish it was probably a little bit more consistent like everybody does in this league," Stafford said.

But the blame is not all on Stafford. 

"There’s not one area on our football team that you can separate one from the other and say, ‘Hey, this one’s doing well,’” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. “So, you certainly cannot just put your finger on one particular issue and say, ‘Hey, this was it.’”

Now for the seriously bad news, at least for Stafford. 

Here comes Pittsburgh, a team with 24 sacks, tied for second most in the NFL. 

And it’s not just one guy doing the damage for the Steelers. Six players have at least two sacks.

Who do you stop?

“Yeah, there’s no one guy to really clue in on,” Stafford said. “Their guys off the edge do a great job. Their guys in the middle push the pocket well. And they’re covering guys down in the back-end. It goes hand in hand. They cover receivers, make quarterbacks hold the ball, they’re going to get there, and every once in a while those just get there on their own.” 

To me, it sounds like the making of another demolition derby.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel/.

Bryant’s saga carries sad scent of jealousy

By Mark Madden

http://www.timesonline.com/sports

October 25, 2017

Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant reportedly wants out of Pittsburgh. (Keith Srakocic/Associated Press)

Jealousy is a stinky cologne.

It’s nonetheless Martavis Bryant’s favorite scent.

Bryant has been jealous of (and/or threatened by) JuJu Smith-Schuster since the moment the Steelers selected Smith-Schuster in the second round of this year’s NFL draft. With good reason, as it happens.

Bryant welcomed Smith-Schuster by going on social media — aka Bryant’s burial ground — and proclaiming him “Sammie Coates’ replacement, not mine.” (Capitalization, punctuation and spelling corrected for clarity’s sake.)

Then, after being seldom targeted this past Sunday, Bryant argued with one of the citizens on social media, throwing Smith-Schuster under the bus thusly: “JuJu is nowhere near better than me.”

The latter did Bryant no favors in the locker room. He not only criticized a teammate to prop himself up, but chose a well-liked, 20-year-old rookie who has delivered whenever called upon.

Smith-Schuster has 17 receptions on 27 targets. Bryant has 18 receptions on 36 targets. Those numbers are a bit too close for Bryant’s liking.

Drafting Smith-Schuster didn’t make Bryant expendable, and it would be inaccurate to call Smith-Schuster a superior talent. Bryant is three inches taller and go can deeper and higher than Smith-Schuster.

But Smith-Schuster provides competition. Entitled brat Bryant somehow perceived drafting Smith-Schuster as an insult, despite the logic of adding a talented alternative to a player who missed all last season and four games of the prior campaign via drug suspension.

Why do you think they call it dope?

As Smith-Schuster noted in graciously absolving Bryant, “There’s only one ball.” When Bryant wants it more, he’s saying that Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown should get it less. But, as Bryant said, “I just want [mine], period.”

Bryant won’t get his Sunday at Detroit. He will be inactive for that game. He practiced with the scout team Thursday.

That’s the right decision by Coach Mike Tomlin. But Tomlin is hardly devoid of blame in this soap opera. If Bryant’s a punk, it’s because Tomlin has allowed it far too long.

It’s a short leap from players’ coach to enabler of chaos. Tomlin usually walks that tightrope successfully but has failed when it comes to Bryant.

That was evident when Bryant spoke to the media after it was revealed he’d be inactive at Detroit. Bryant said he was suspended because of “social media,” as if his Instagram operates itself. Bryant called himself “a great teammate,” but not much evidence supports that.

Perhaps Bryant was predisposed to fail.

Bryant has first-round talent, but was taken in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft because issues such as those currently haunting him have always threatened. Everything that’s happened since has been confirmation of why he dropped in the draft.

Bryant has first-round talent, but was taken in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft because issues such as those currently haunting him have always threatened. Everything that’s happened since has been confirmation of why he dropped in the draft.

Smith-Schuster arrived in Pittsburgh with no such baggage. He has likewise delivered on his rep.

It wouldn’t behoove the Steelers to cut Bryant. Not presently. Tomlin says Bryant will not be traded.

But the next off-season seems a likely departure point. Does anyone really think Bryant is going to change? Anyway, the Steelers have drafted Bryant’s replacement: It’s Smith-Schuster.

Bryant appears to have known that all along.

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).