Huddle up before Tomlin cuts you and then unfollows you on Twitter.
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Well the NFL regular season finally kicked off last night. Not before a hologram of Ray Lewis dancing to Nelly and a 45 minute or so weather delay. Seriously, both of those things happened. When the game finally kicked off I think NBC really dropped the ball by not showing a shot of Ray Lewis crying during the National Anthem, just for old times sake. Nevertheless, the 2013 NFL season is finally underway. What better way to get you pumped than to see the Ravens get it handed to them last night? Peyton Manning tied an NFL record with 7 touchdown passes as the Ravens Defense will now transition into their irrelevant period. With that out of the way, here’s what’s being said about your Pittsburgh Steelers around the block.
While Tuesdays are reserved for Coach Tomlin’s weekly press conferences, the coordinators get to address the media on Thursdays. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau spoke about Steve McLendon’s transition into the starting nose tackle role and whether or not teams will prepare for him.
"“Yeah, they’ll probably have a few plays. Let’s face it; you don’t design your game plan around who the other team’s nose tackle is. Steve will have to step in but he’s done this. It isn’t like he’s never been out on the field. He’s played a lot of snaps for us the past couple of years. He’s just got to get in there and take his role on the defense, get his gap, get off some blocks and get some pressure. I’m not guessing on this. I’ve seen him do it. I’m confident that he’ll play well for us.” – Dick LeBeau"
Steelers Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley was asked about his feelings of trying to avoid a running back by committee again this season.
"“Yeah, like I’ve said, we’re waiting – we’ve got extenuating circumstances again, but we are still looking for somebody to take the bull by the horns and not let us take him out. The guys are going to have an opportunity in this game to showcase how much they want the job.”"
Woodley won’t play part-time
Alan Robinson of the Trib posed a question to Steelers LB LaMarr Woodley that he didn’t really like. He asked Woodley if he thinks his playing time might be trimmed to accommodate rookie LB Jarvis Jones.
"“Part-time player? I don’t think so. The only time I’ve been a part-time player is due to injuries these past two seasons. Other than that, no, I never have been.” – LaMarr Woodley"
Woodley is obviously aware of the pressure on him this season to come back and perform at the level he was in the beginning of his career. Woodley’s sack production has dropped and he’s been a non-factor on the field, especially because he’s been dealing with injuries the past two years. The Steelers are unwavering in wanting to return to the defense which creates turnovers and sacks the quarterbacks. To do those things, you need a playmaker like Woodley used to be, or what Jones could be.
Tomlin unfollowed those cut on Twitter
The business of the NFL is rough. So is social media. The players cut last weekend from the Steelers roster certainly know that more than anything. Per Tomlin’s Twitter feed; he totally unfollowed players which were cut because he’s only following 53 people and those include active players, injured players, and some organizations. I don’t know why but I’m totally entertained by this. Tomlin must have had a lot of updating to do with his Twitter this week as it seemed like the Steelers made roster moves every day after the initial cut-down day. Brutal.
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