Steelers off to good start in preseason
PITTSBURGH 鈥� The Steelers are 2-0 this preseason 鈥� like the 2010 team, like the 2005 team.
Should fans begin making Super Bowl plans?
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good start,鈥� Cam Heyward said with a friendly shake of the head. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 put all my eggs in the basket that way. But we鈥檙e winning games and still learning a lot 鈥� whether it鈥檚 up front, being more sound in our assignments. I thought we got some good pressure on the quarterback.鈥�
Heyward鈥檚 excited about the mental acuity of his defensive teammates. They kept the vaunted Chiefs offense and NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes off the scoreboard for two series before Mahomes was replaced at QB Saturday night.
The Steelers didn鈥檛 sack Mahomes, but they got to Chad Henne on the third series when Bud Dupree got 鈥渉ome鈥� on a stunt with Heyward.
鈥淲e talk about our communication on the fly,鈥� Heyward said. 鈥淲e were able to do that (stunt) and just execute it really well.鈥�
Heyward emphasized the improvement in communication, but was asked if this might be the most athletic defensive unit of his pro career.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 interesting,鈥� Heyward said. 鈥淚 like to think that before Shay got hurt (in 2017) we were approaching good territory then. We鈥檒l see. Only time will tell. But we鈥檝e got a good foundation, a good group of guys. I think our technique has improved a lot, from the front end to the back end. Hopefully that translates to winning some more games.鈥�
Heyward鈥檚 impression of Devin Bush?
The rookie inside linebacker/playcaller out of Michigan missed the K.C. game with a sore shoulder but returned to practice this week.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 had a chance to play on the field together,鈥� Heyward said. 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 a heck of a kid. Shoot, watching him the first game I was like 鈥楧amn, this kid has a lot of talent.鈥� And I don鈥檛 like saying that about a lot of Wolverines.鈥�
Heyward, of course, attended Ohio State.
SKIPPER OF THE BOAT
He was born in the Bronx, bounced from group homes to foster homes since the age of six, attended three elementary schools, two middle schools and three high schools in Connecticut, went back to New York for junior college, received a scholarship from Toledo, tore his ACL as a junior, came back as a senior season and led the Rockets with 8.5 sacks.
He鈥檚 seen the underbelly of life, but has been able to sidestep it because he鈥檚 driven to play in the NFL.
But Tuzar Skipper wasn鈥檛 drafted, wasn鈥檛 signed. He only became one of Pittsburgh鈥檚 90 this year after impressing coaches in a tryout at rookie minicamp.
After two preseason games, Skipper two sacks, five tackles, five QB hits and a fumble recovery. Teammates are bringing up the name James Harrison to him.
鈥淭hey do, but I just want to be myself,鈥� said the 24-year-old rookie. 鈥淚 just want people when they talk about me to talk about me, not other past players.
鈥淒on鈥檛 get me wrong. He鈥檚 a Hall of Famer. No disrespect to him. But I just want to be Tuzar.鈥�
Skipper certainly smiles more easily than Harrison. But the 6-2 3/8, 248-pounder does have Harrison-like strength. At his pro day, Skipper only ran a 4.89 40, but with long 33-inch arms he pushed up the bar (225 pounds) 30 times. That鈥檚 O-line strong.
While he鈥檚 not much for dropping back into coverage, Skipper鈥檚 more of a defensive end whose best pass-rushing asset is a punch that jumps out on preseason tape when he staggers opposing tackles.
鈥淢y high school coach always said I had a punch,鈥� Skipper said. 鈥淚 never really knew what he meant by that in high school. You鈥檙e young and you don鈥檛 really know. You think you know everything, but you really don鈥檛. And then once I got to Division One, to Toledo, I realized how effective that punch can be. Now that I鈥檓 here at the ultimate level, I realize, 鈥極K, this punch is something serious.鈥� It鈥檚 not like a little punch. It鈥檚 something really serious.鈥�
Skipper has used it to step into the second team as a replacement for former college teammate Ola Adeniyi, who鈥檚 expected to miss a month following meniscus surgery.
Does Skipper have a nickname yet?
鈥淵ou鈥檙e the second person to ask me about a nickname within 24 hours,鈥� he said with a laugh. 鈥淚鈥檓 waiting for them to give me one. I just want to go out there and give them a show. Whatever nickname they give me that鈥檚 suitable, I鈥檒l rock with it. They call me Tooz, Skip, Zar. Usually it鈥檚 more like Zar, Skip. I don鈥檛 mind being called Skipper. Once they call Skipper, I let them know I鈥檓 the captain of this boat now.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 been a bright spot,鈥� said Heyward. 鈥淗e plays with good pad level. He鈥檚 making a lot of plays. Not a lot can be said in just two preseason games, but I like his attention to detail when it comes to pass rush.鈥�
POUNCEY: FEILER THE RT
Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro returned to practice this week and according to Pouncey we saw the starting line out there as Matt Feiler moved back to right tackle after a week-plus spent playing both right and left guard.
鈥淭he guys were looking good out there,鈥� Pouncey said. 鈥淓verybody鈥檚 passing things out the right way, running the ball the right way. Really good practice.鈥�
And Feiler鈥檚 the first-team right tackle?
鈥淥h yeah, hell yeah,鈥� Pouncey said. 鈥淗e was starting last year. He went out and balled out. To take that position, you gotta go out there and be an All-Pro. He deserves it.鈥�
ROOKIE LB REPORT
Sutton Smith returned to practice this week. The sixth-round pass-rusher who compiled 29 sacks and 56.5 tackles-for-loss the last two seasons at Northern Illinois missed the first two preseason games with a rib injury.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely eating at me,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚 want to get out there. It鈥檚 football time. I鈥檓 ready to go.鈥�
Another sixth-round pick, ILB Ulysees Gilbert, also out of the MAC, the University of Akron, is coming off his second impressive preseason showing, this time much earlier and against better competition.
In two games, Gilbert has six tackles (five solo), 1.5 sacks, four QB hits, a forced fumble and a special teams tackle. He also showed off athleticism and instincts in a couple of other plays Saturday night.
In one, Gilbert ran stride for stride with speedy slot receiver Mecole Hardman, and in another Gilbert backed off a block that allowed Diontae Spencer a 38-yard punt return.
鈥淚 just tried to get in front of the ball and put my hands up so I wouldn鈥檛 hit (the punt gunner) in the back, and it was perfect,鈥� Gilbert said.
Gilbert鈥檚 impression of Spencer as a return man?
鈥淗e鈥檚 really good,鈥� Gilbert said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 fast.鈥�
Like Hardman? The speedster out of Georgia?
鈥淣umber 17, right?鈥� Gilbert asked. 鈥淵eah, Coach (James) Daniels was talking about him today, said he runs like a 4.2, 4.3.鈥�
Gilbert was timed by the Steelers at 4.46 at his pro day, and that speed has been evident on the field.