Green practices for first time
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Two players who didn鈥檛 play in Sunday鈥檚 loss to the New England Patriots took the practice field Monday for the Steelers in the first of their two bye-week practices.
One was a surprise participant, and the other was Ladarius Green.
Yep, the premier free-agent acquisition from a year ago partook of his very first practice 鈥� counting springtime OTAs and minicamp 鈥� with the Steelers, who now have three weeks to activate him or keep him on the PUP list the rest of the season.
And the surprise was the quarterback throwing Green passes, Ben Roethlisberger, who missed Sunday鈥檚 game after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery to clean up a meniscus issue.
Roethlisberger is hoping to return for the Nov. 6 game at Baltimore, and so is Green. To that end, Roethlisberger, who worked only during the individual practice period, threw the 6-6 tight end some high passes so Green could test the ankle that鈥檚 given him so much trouble since last season when he was with the San Diego Chargers.
鈥淚 was working on jumping so that was good to get out there and jump,鈥� Green said. 鈥淗e wanted to see what I could do and I just had to jump up for it and trust it. It held up.鈥�
What did he look like?
鈥淗e made some nice catches,鈥� said rookie safety Sean Davis. 鈥淓ver since I鈥檝e been here he鈥檚 been rehabbing, but for his first time to be out here he looked good.鈥�
鈥淗e looked great,鈥� said safety Jordan Dangerfield. 鈥淚t looked like he didn鈥檛 miss a beat. I was excited to see him in person for the first time. I think everybody was. He did really good: speed, hands, route-running. I think he鈥檚 the full package for a tight end, blocker, too.鈥�
Green, who caught 37 passes for 429 yards and four touchdowns last season, was asked if he could play against the Ravens with only six practices.
鈥淚 would hope so,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 just have to see how I feel that week and how the coaches feel about it.鈥�
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Since the Steelers鈥� loss Sunday, the defense has been under attack by those closest to it.
Inside linebacker Ryan Shazier said after the game that 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking like garbage.鈥� The next day, injured defensive lineman Cam Heyward said, 鈥淚t was like we just quit鈥� after Rob Gronkowski caught his second long pass, the one that set up the Patriots鈥� final touchdown.
Defensive line coach John Mitchell was asked about the commentary, and he merely shrugged.
鈥淕uys are free to make their own opinion,鈥� said Mitchell. 鈥淔reedom of speech. That鈥檚 the way they feel. I鈥檓 glad they feel that way. Maybe we鈥檒l play a little harder.鈥�
Mitchell was asked for his opinion.
鈥淚鈥檓 not pleased with the way we鈥檝e played against he run,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut, you鈥檝e got to realize when you鈥檙e not stopping the run it鈥檚 11 guys. It鈥檚 not the front. It鈥檚 not the linebackers. It鈥檚 not the DBs. We鈥檝e got to fit properly. The thing that hurt us in the last two games, our proper fits. The guys were not in the gaps they鈥檙e supposed to be in, and the good football teams with a good running back, they鈥檙e going to find those gaps.鈥�
In the last two games, since Heyward鈥檚 been out with a hamstring injury, the Steelers allowed opposing rushers 7.1 yards per carry. With Heyward in the lineup, they allowed 4.1 yards per carry.
Are teams exploiting Heyward鈥檚 absence?
鈥淚 won鈥檛 say that,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 the same thing as a quarterback. He sees a rookie or a guy who hasn鈥檛 played at corner, he鈥檚 going to go at him. That鈥檚 just playing football.鈥�
SKINNY CORNERS
The Steelers used to draft thicker run-stuffing cornerbacks to patrol their cover-3 zones for whatever came their way. But now, with 197-pound first-round pick Artie Burns playing outside in the team鈥檚 primary package, and 191-pound Ross Cockrell on the other side, teams are finding that if they can make it around the corner there鈥檚 extra yardage awaiting.
鈥淎rtie鈥檚 not that skinny,鈥� said DBs coach Carnell Lake. 鈥淏ut, he (pause) you know, he鈥檚 not tackling. He鈥檚 having 鈥� it鈥檚 a wake-up call is what it is. I鈥檓 hoping that he takes that challenge and does something with it.鈥�
Cockrell appears to have the 鈥渨ant-to鈥� when it comes to tackling.
鈥淩oss is a true pro,鈥� Lake said. 鈥淗e has the want-to and he doesn鈥檛 mind a challenge, whether it鈥檚 playing the top receiver, matching up from week-to-week and following that receiver around. For a guy that we got at the beginning of the season last year, was cut by Buffalo, to be our No. 1 guy and is covering big-time receivers is impressive. We still hold a high standard but that, for Ross, that game is still developing for him, too. He鈥檚 still a young guy. So I鈥檓 not pushing the panic button on any of those guys. They just have to grow up and grow up quickly.鈥�
Are teams running wider on the Steelers this season?
鈥淚 think any offense would probably not be a good offense if they didn鈥檛 challenge perceived weaknesses, or they didn鈥檛 try to run on a corner,鈥� Lake said. 鈥淚f your running game can get downhill on corners all day, they must feel they鈥檝e got an advantage, whether they do or not. But that鈥檚 where the corner has to make a statement, and so that鈥檚 going to be the challenge going forward.鈥�