Steelers Blog

Records have AFC up for grabs

The Steelers might be off to a disappointing 2-3 start, but the AFC is definitely still up for grabs with only two teams able to boast winning records entering week seven.

“It’s far from over,” said receiver Mike Wallace. “This is one of the craziest seasons you have seen with teams having a couple of losses already. A lot of teams wouldn’t normally have three losses already. It’s a blessing in disguise. We have to pick it up and make some plays. I think we are in good shape and will be fine.”

The Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens are both 5-1, while seven teams sit at 3-3. The Steelers and Indianapolis Colts are 2-3, while the Tennessee Titans are 2-4.

“It’s still early,” said guard Ramon Foster. “That is why smart teams start to realize you can take this a long way starting right now. It’s very essential teams start to be on the upper slope right now. There’s no doubt teams have to start realizing this is the point you are getting better or you will be out of the playoffs early this year.”

And Steelers’ players are the first to acknowledge there is no time like the present to be a team headed on that upward slope.

“Our destiny is still in our hands,” said linebacker Larry Foote. “We have 11 games left. We have to get going. Just that mindset is not going to get the job done itself. We have to go out there and execute and play our best game.

“There is so much football left. All we have to do is start stacking wins and see where we fall in December.” 

In order to stack those wins the team must start putting teams away early, and not letting them get back in the game late. In the three losses the Steelers have squandered fourth quarter leads, including a 10-point fourth quarter lead in Oakland.

“We are just not finishing drives at critical times,” said Wallace. “We get the crowd to quiet down and then we let them back in games. We just have to put our foot on their throats. When we get them down we have to continue to score, continue to drive the ball and get some stops on defense.”

Another thing this team has to do to get back on track is pull out a win on the road. The three losses this year have all been on the road, in Denver, Oakland and Tennessee. Nobody believes there is a common thread that is making playing on the road more of a challenge this year, it’s just about execution.
 
“It’s nothing outside of we didn’t play well, we didn’t make plays in critical parts of the game,” said tight end Heath Miller. “We need to play better throughout the entirety of the game to not put ourselves in that position.

“We have to start the games fast and play with the same emotion throughout the game, not play with any lulls or lapses where they make a play and are right back in the game. We have to keep the pedal to the metal the whole game.”

KidZone Show Guests – Sept. 25

Show taping takes place at Heinz Field in the FedEx Great Hall

Doors Open at 5:30 p.m., show taping begins at 6:30 p.m. 

Kids under age 12 are free, all others $5.00.

Two shows are taped per night. Parking available in lot Gold 1A.

The McDonald Steelers KidZONE Show airs Sunday mornings 
at 10:30 A.M. on The Pittsburgh CW.

Show begins airing on Sunday, Sept. 16 through Sunday, Dec. 30

Once guests are known for each show we will publish them on this page.

 Taping Dates

Tuesday, September 4 - Jerricho Cotchery and Ryan Mundy  
Tuesday, September 11 – Baron Batch and Cortez Allen
Tuesday, September 18 – Jonathan Dwyer and Chris Carter
Tuesday, September 25 – Ramon Foster and Willie Colon  
Tuesday, October 2 -  
Tuesday, October 16 - 
Tuesday, October 23 -

The Steelers “SEC” line

The Steelers current offensive line is made up of three former Florida Gators in Max Starks, Maurkice Pouncey and Marcus Gilbert, a former Tennessee Volunteer in Ramon Foster and Hofstra’s Willie Colon.

When asked about the line this week Foster couldn’t help but take note of that.

“That is a great SEC line right there,” said Foster. “You have some good guys up front you know are going to fight for you. You don’t have to worry about the man next door to you knowing his job. It’s going to get done. “

When asked about Colon being the only non-SEC player, Foster was quick to bring him into the group.

“Willie doesn’t have a football program right now, so he is definitely going to take the SEC,” said Foster of Hofstra dropping their program. “We have adopted him.”

Foster ready to step in again

Ramon Foster has been here before, being the guy who is asked to step up when a teammate is injured. Since his rookie year it’s a role that he has been asked to fill, and since then he has delivered. 

“You just have to be able to step in and do the job with no slack off,” said Foster. “I have been in this position before. It’s just staying consistent.

“We have that gift of having guys that are experienced on the offensive line. I am one of those guys that has played a lot and started, and it’s almost like second nature stepping in and doing your job.”

This time Foster will be thrown into the fire at right guard after rookie first-round pick David DeCastro suffered a serious knee injury against the Buffalo Bills.

It’s an opportunity for Foster, who battled for the starting job during camp, to show that he is more than capable of not just holding things down, but being a solid force there.

“It’s definitely an opportunity,” said Foster. “I hate to have it happen to him, but I have to take advantage of it and hopefully run away with it.

“I understand the circumstance, you have a high draft pick and you just have to go to work every day and fight for it. Stuff like this comes along. That is what happens when you go about your business every day.”

Foster said when he entered the Bills game, there was nothing said by the fellow linemen as they had plenty of confidence that he knew what he was doing.
 
“I don’t think there is any issue. He is a veteran,” said tackle Max Starks. “He has been doing this for a long time. He knows the importance of position flexibility and being ready to be a starter in waiting and a starter.

“It’s an unfortunate situation for David but a great opportunity for Ramon. I think he will do a great job.”

Arians not sure if Sanders will play

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians indicated after practice that wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who did not practice on Tuesday, might not play Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns.

“He wasn’t ready to come back,” said Arians. “I think he favored his foot because of his knee. He has a little aggravation of both. We have to wait and see how it goes. It may be a time for him to sit and rest for 11 days and get truly healthy.”

Arians is more optimistic about having guard Ramon Foster play.

“He practiced,” said Arians. “We will see how it goes. He’s a tough dude. It’s a low ankle sprain, not a high one. So he should be alright.”

Foote, Foster practice

Linebacker Larry Foote (hamstring) and guard Ramon Foster (ankle) both fully participated in practice on Tuesday. Foote missed the Bengals game with the hamstring injury and Foster left the game early with the ankle injury.

Foster questionable

Ramon Foster’s return is questionable with an ankle injury.(It was then updated that he will not return to the game).