McDonald chases down Cooper
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Vance McDonald can put together a unique resume these days.
鈥淛ust put me in that role every time,鈥� he said with a laugh.
That 鈥渞ole鈥� for McDonald, whom the Steelers acquired 11 days before the opener, is a chase role on blocked kicks.
McDonald, of course, chased down Marcus Cooper after a blocked Steelers field goal attempt bounced directly into his arms at the Chicago 26-yard line with nothing but green grass in front of him.
McDonald, a 267-pound tight end, began to chase as soon as he heard the dreaded 鈥渄ouble thud.鈥�
鈥淚 was going to catch him no matter what,鈥� McDonald said of his thought process. 鈥淲hether it would happen or not was a different story. But in my mind, I was going to catch him.鈥�
McDonald closed on the cornerback, who then slowed drastically upon his approach to the end zone. McDonald鈥檚 surety, ironically, changed the closer he got.
鈥淚 kind of thought like 鈥極K, there鈥檚 no way this is really about to happen,鈥濃�� McDonald said. 鈥淚 mean, yeah, he was slowing down, but I thought he at least is going to cross the goal line. Then he didn鈥檛, and I was like, 鈥榃hat were you thinking?'鈥�
McDonald stripped the ball and saved the Steelers four points. It was the second time he had made that kind of play.
In the 2015 season opener, while playing for San Francisco, a Minnesota player blocked a 28-yard field goal attempt. Marcus Sherels of the Vikings picked it up at the 30 and broke into the clear. McDonald sprinted from the same exact spot he played Sunday, crossed the field and pushed Sherels out of bounds at the San Francisco 26. The Vikings missed a subsequent field goal attempt and the 49ers went on to win the game.
That was something the Steelers couldn鈥檛 duplicate in Chicago, yet the play was appreciated by coaches.
鈥淚 got a table-knock yesterday,鈥� McDonald said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a cool thing in team meetings.鈥�
BLAME IT ON BEN
Coming off another sluggish road game, Ben Roethlisberger was asked what changes he would like to see in the offense.
鈥淭he quarterback needs to play better,鈥� he said.
Roethlisberger did put the first pass of the game, 50-some yards in the air, on the hands of Martavis Bryant 鈥� or what would鈥檝e been his hands had he extended his arms. But, Roethlisberger persisted.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 play well enough to win,鈥� he repeated. 鈥淚 feel like we lost the game because of me. It鈥檚 not on anyone else. That鈥檚 how I felt. That鈥檚 what you have to do. You have to own it and I鈥檒l own it because if I play better in that game, then I feel we win the game.鈥�
Roethlisberger completed 22-of-39 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown for a passer rating of 82.7, which approached his average rating (85.6) on the road the past three-plus seasons. His passer rating at home during the same period is 111.2.
鈥淚f I play better there are no road woes,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was just off for last week for whatever reason. I didn鈥檛 connect on some passes downfield like I should have, and like I said you get into a comfort zone sometimes of just finding A.B. (Antonio Brown) instead of taking what the defense gives you and what鈥檚 better for our offense.鈥�
HURRY SUNDOWN
After losing the coin toss before overtime, Roethlisberger turned to find the sun before declaring which side of the field to defend. It seemed like a logical consideration after Bryant and Eli Rogers appeared to have lost the ball in the sun at key moments.
鈥淵eah,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥淛ust trying figure out which way if my receivers had to look into the sun, what was the best way to go about it. All I knew was coach said he wanted them to have the ball first. Then we didn鈥檛 talk about which way to go, so I was just trying to make a decision real quick.鈥�
BEARS GET BALL FIRST?
The aforementioned comment by Roethlisberger, about giving the Bears the ball first in overtime, passed unnoticed until reporters went back to transcribe tape and realized what was said.
After practice Roethlisberger confirmed the comment.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e the second or third person to ask me about that,鈥� he said. 鈥淵eah, that was right. I was a little bit surprised but I wasn鈥檛 about to argue. I kind of understand it a little bit because the defense was playing well and a stop might have given us the ball maybe in good position. It was what it was. It鈥檚 his call.鈥�
The Steelers, though, lost the coin flip, the Bears took the ball and, of course, drove for a touchdown.
ANTHEM FLAP
Alejandro Villanueva is angry at the media following the anthem controversy in which a mere 20 feet of separation between him and his teammates has resulted in a nonstop diatribe from both ends of the political spectrum. Villanueva indicated Wednesday that he was done talking to the media, and punctuated a quiet, one-on-one conversation with 鈥淚 just want to play football鈥� before leaving the locker room.
Maurkice Pouncey, who lockers next to Villanueva, said he understands his friend鈥檚 frustration.
鈥淚f people only knew what a great guy he is,鈥� Pouncey said. 鈥淗e volunteered to help some of the guys move over the summer, and that鈥檚 just off the top of my head. He鈥檚 always doing things like that. He鈥檚 truly a great, great guy. What鈥檚 happening to him isn鈥檛 fair, especially for a guy who鈥檚 gone out there and put his life on the line for this country. But I鈥檓 sure this stuff will pass. We鈥檒l get this stuff straightened out.鈥�
How will the Steelers handle the anthem before Sunday鈥檚 game in Baltimore?
鈥淓verybody鈥檚 going to be out there,鈥� said Cameron Heyward. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going through everybody鈥檚 head, but everybody鈥檚 going to be out there. We鈥檙e focused on trying to beat Baltimore, and we鈥檒l pay tribute to our flag.鈥�
INJURY REPORT
The following Steelers did not participate in Wednesday鈥檚 practice: RB Le鈥橵eon Bell (not injury related), WR Martavis Bryant (illness), SS Sean Davis (ankle), G Ramon Foster (thumb), FS Mike Mitchell (hamstring) and QB Ben Roethlisberger (not injury related).
Limited at practice were: OLB Bud Dupree (shoulder) and TE Jesse James (shoulder).
Back to work for the Steelers were: RT Marcus Gilbert (hamstring), DE Stephon Tuitt (biceps) and OLB T.J. Watt (groin).