Matakevich prepared to step in at ILB
PITTSBURGH 鈥� The Steelers have made 15 special-teams tackles this season and Tyler Matakevich has five. No one else has more than two.
How did the third-year pro get so good at it?
鈥淔irst of all,鈥� said the guy teammates call 鈥淒irty Red,鈥� 鈥渨hen I see the ball I鈥檓 going to tackle the ball. But you have to have the want and the will to go do it.
鈥淭hat stuff鈥檚 so important to me. Special teams are so important to me, and I鈥檓 treating this the same way, this opportunity. If Vinnie can鈥檛 go, we have to be ready to step in.鈥�
If Vince Williams remains out with his hamstring injury, Matakevich will make his first professional start at inside linebacker. And the guy who made almost 500 tackles in college doesn鈥檛 feel he鈥檚 shown yet what he can do at that position.
鈥淎bsolutely not,鈥� said the third-year pro. 鈥淚 know what I鈥檓 capable of doing. I just haven鈥檛 been able to do that at this level yet. I鈥檝e been out there making plays on special teams. That鈥檚 one part of the game. On defense, I feel like I haven鈥檛 been able to put that on display yet.鈥�
Here鈥檚 what Matakevich wants to show most of all:
鈥淛ust that I can do it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know I can do it. I believe in myself. I know these coaches do because they鈥檝e been putting me in. Obviously that helps the confidence but at the end of the day you just have to go out there and make the plays.鈥�
It will take a committee to replace Williams, and Matakevich led a group Wednesday that included Matthew Thomas, L.J. Fort and Cameron Sutton. Matakevich made his presence known right away with his loud and precise commands.
鈥淗e鈥檚 really upped his communication skills,鈥� said cornerback Mike Hilton. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 defense or special teams, he鈥檚 always a guy who鈥檚 riled up, a guy who鈥檚 trying to get guys going and a guy who makes sure everyone鈥檚 in the right place.鈥�
AB鈥檚 SLUMP
Antonio Brown鈥檚 targets are way up through the first quarter of the season, but his yardage is down. Way down. In fact, Brown has gained the fewest yards receiving this quarter than any first quarter of a season since he became a starter in 2012.
Brown was targeted 53 times this quarter, but he鈥檚 gained only 272 yards on his 29 catches the first four games this season for an average of 9.4 yards per catch. His previous low start to a season was 12.4 ypc. in the first quarter of 2013.
Here鈥檚 the breakdown:
n 2017 鈥� 53 targets, 29 catches, 272 yards (9.4 avg.), 3 touchdowns.
n 2016 鈥� 45 targets, 28 catches, 369 yards (13.2 avg.), 4 touchdowns.
n 2015 鈥� 44 targets, 34 catches, 478 yards (14.1 avg.), 2 touchdowns.
n 2014 鈥� 39 targets, 29 catches, 427 yards (14.7 avg.), 5 touchdowns.
n 2013 鈥� 42 targets, 32 catches, 398 yards (12.4 avg.), 2 touchdowns.
n 2012 鈥� 39 targets, 25 catches, 326 yards (13.0 avg.), 1 touchdown.
Ben Roethlisberger was asked if anything鈥檚 different with opposing coverages.
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen so many things in the last nine years it鈥檚 hard to show anything differently,鈥� said Roethlisberger. 鈥淚 think I just have to play better to help him get his numbers, which in turn will help get us wins.鈥�
Roethlisberger was asked about a couple of factors that might be responsible for Brown鈥檚 lack of explosviness, such as a lack of speed at the opposite receiver since Martavis Bryant is gone.
Roethlisberger shrugged it off.
鈥淚 think it really just comes down to me being able to get the ball to them when they鈥檙e down the field,鈥� he said.
STEELERS TAKE ON PROJECT WATERS
The Steelers signed CB Herb Waters to their practice squad after promoting CB Brian Allen to replace S Nat Berhe, who was placed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury.
Waters caught 99 passes for 1,534 yards (15.5 ypc.) and nine touchdowns as a wide receiver for four years at Miami. At his 2016 pro day he measured 5-11 3/4, 188, ran a 4.51 40, with a 38.5 vertical jump and an impressive 6.73 3-cone time.
He was moved to cornerback by the Green Bay Packers when he made the practice squad in 2016. The cornerback coach, Joe Whitt, explained the move to the Milwauke Journal Sentinel:
鈥淚 don鈥檛 necessarily look at anything other than skill sets,鈥� Whitt said, 鈥渁nd he has the skill set that I like. He has long arms, he can bend, he has good balance, he has the height. And so now can we work those skill sets into playing defensive back. That鈥檚 my challenge and I鈥檓 excited to work with him.鈥�
Waters confirmed that he made an interception in his in his first practice. Does he miss playing receiver?
鈥淎 little bit,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut God has a plan for me. The pick made up for it a little bit.鈥�
Waters played in two games in 2016, but injured his shoulder and missed last season. He was released by the Packers on Sept. 3.
LINEMEN ON LE鈥橵EON
A couple of offensive linemen who were critical of Le鈥橵eon Bell missing the first week of practice were asked for their feelings on a Jeremy Fowler report that Bell will report during the bye week.
n Maurkice Pouncey: 鈥淲e played with Le鈥橵eon for several years. He is good friends with a lot of people on the team. We had a lot of great memories with him. When he comes back, he鈥檒l be accepted.鈥�
n Ramon Foster: 鈥淗e shows up, that鈥檚 awesome. If he chooses to come later, that鈥檚 cool, too. 鈥� We鈥檒l see how it goes when he gets here. He鈥檒l be our teammate.鈥�