Steelers aim to avoid ‘embarrassing’ loss
Ravens tight end Owen Daniels (81) hangs on to the ball as he is tackled by Steelers free safety Mike Mitchell (23), who is upside down, during the second half of the Sept. 11 game in Baltimore.
Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) carries the ball against the Ravens during the second half of the Sept. 11 game in Baltimore.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – There are good and bad issues to playing on Thursday nights.
The Steelers saw plenty of the bad as they looked a step slow in their 26-6 loss at Baltimore last week, playing just four days after beating Cleveland in their opener.
The good? That came in the days that followed, as they got some extra days off to rest and recuperate from a pair of physical AFC North games.
Of course, that also meant the Steelers had a few extra days to stew about a loss that more than one player called “embarrassing.”
“We just got embarrassed on Thursday night on national television and we’re presented with another opportunity Sunday night against a great opponent,” said Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. “I think we’re looking to respond.”
That opponent will be the Carolina Panthers (2-0) a team the Steelers (1-1) regularly face in the preseason.
Carolina handed the Steelers a 10-0 defeat in the preseason finale Aug. 28 at Heinz Field.
But both teams sat many of their starters, including starting quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger for the Steelers and Cam Newton for Carolina.
Both will play in this game.
The Steelers have had issues stopping the run, allowing 174 yards rushing per game. The Panthers, however, have had issues running the ball, averaging just 87.5 yards per game.
That could put more pressure on Newton to perform, though the Steelers are wary of his running ability as well as his arm. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin labeled Newton’s throwing arm a “hand cannon,” an accurate description.
“They put him back there with a couple guys and they run the read-option (and) the pistol stuff,” said Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. “He’s the quintessential modern quarterback. He can do both.”
How much running the 6-5, 245-pound Newton will do, however, is in question. Newton missed Carolina’s opener with fractured ribs and ran the ball just four times last week in a win over Detroit.
He did throw for 281 yards and a touchdown, though many of his passes were of the shorter variety. Carolina’s leading receiver is tight end Greg Olsen and the team’s longest pass completion has been 26 yards.
“I think they design a couple of (running) plays down in the red zone,” said Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward of Newton. “The other times he’s able to use his improvisation (and) just make plays happen. He does a good job of getting out of bounds too so you don’t get a hit on him. That’s why we have to keep him contained, so if he is going to stay in bounds we have to get a shot on him.”
The Panthers want to do the same with Roethlisberger.
Despite playing without Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy, who is suspended while awaiting an appeal of a domestic violence conviction last week, the Panthers sacked Detroit’s Matthew Stafford four times in a 24-7 win.
The Steelers’ offense, which has produced just nine points in the past six quarters after scoring 27 in the first half against Cleveland, is intent on keeping Roethlisberger upright and giving him a chance to get the ball downfield.
Carolina relies on its front, which has recorded seven sacks in the first two games, to force quarterbacks into bad decisions. The Panthers have already forced six turnovers.
“They count on their guys just to whoop you and that’s their front four, which is kind of a front-seven, eight or nine because they rotate so many guys,” said Roethlisberger, who enters the game with an AFC-high 583 passing yards.
To help Roethlisberger, the Steelers will rely on running back Le’Veon Bell to make positive runs on first and second downs to keep their quarterback in manageable third downs.
Otherwise, it could be another embarrassing game.
“When you’re dropping back to pass and there’s no threat of a run, you’re going to get embarrassed,” said Steelers guard David DeCastro. “We have to establish the run and keep it going. More important, we have to put points on the board so we can be in a better position to run the ball and control the game.”
Odds and end zones
The Steelers lead the all-time series against the Panthers, 4-1, including a 1-1 record in Charlotte. … Brown has 18 consecutive games with at least five receptions and 50 yards. If he matches those totals again today, he’ll tie the Jets’ Laveraneus Coles (2002-’03) for the all-time record at 19. … Roethlisberger needs 313 passing yards to become the first Steelers player and 12th in NFL history with 35,000 in his career. … Guard Ramon Foster is questionable to play for the Steelers with an ankle injury and could be a game-time decision. If he cannot play, Cody Wallace will start in his place.