Daily Links: Steelers Snap Road ‘Dog Streak, Ryan Clark Trashes Commanders Sean Taylor Statue

🏈 According to Scott Kacsmar, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been a road underdog in 16 straight games, which is the team’s longest streak since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The Steelers are either -1 against the Atlanta Falcons or it’s a pick’em. Oddsshark currently has it as a pick’em game.

🏈 The NFL Throwback account on YouTube featured the Michael Vick vs. Ben Roethlisberger crazy offensive duel in Week 7 of the 2006 season. Vick threw four touchdown passes to lead Atlanta to a 41-38 overtime win over the Steelers at the Georgia Dome. Roethlisberger tossed three touchdowns but was injured in the third quarter after taking a blow to the head and was replaced by Charlie Batch.

🏈 Sunday’s game in Atlanta will be a homecoming for Cam and Connor Heyward, along with several other Steelers players who are from the Atlanta area or played their college ball in Georgia. The Heywards grew up as Steelers fans because of their Pittsburgh roots, but they also supported the Falcons since their dad, the late Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, played running back for Atlanta from 1994-1996. “My dad played for them, so I had to be,” Heyward said. “This offseason, I really tried to collect my dad’s jerseys, so I got an Atlanta one. I’m looking forward to it.”

🏈 Ryan Clark said on The Pivot Podcast that the Washington Commanders treated Sean Taylor’s family like gold at the memorial event last Sunday, but the “statue” was bull sh*t. “If you truly loved him and you were actually a part of how he moved people, there’s no way that you let that happen,” Clark said about Washington honoring Taylor with a mannequin, even though they promoted it as a statue. Clark was teammates with Taylor in Washington from 2004-2005 before signing with the Steelers as an unrestricted free agent.

🏈 On 20+ yard targets this season, George Pickens has 10 receptions for 285 yards, one touchdown, and six contested catches, according to Pro Football Focus. Pickens’ six contested catches on 20+ yard targets rank second in the league.

🏈 Following Jackson State’s 43-24 win over Southern in the SWAC Championship, Deion Sanders informed his team that he is accepting the head coach position at Colorado. Jackson State finished the 2022 season 12-0, the first undefeated season in program history. In three seasons, Sanders compiled a 27-5 record and led Jackson to back-to-back SWAC championships.

🏈 Ike Taylor’s son, Ivan, received an offer from Florida. Ivan Taylor is a four-star cornerback out of West Orange High School in Winter Park, Fla. Taylor is only a sophomore.

🏈 Pittsburgh-based artist Cody Sabol shared a short clip on Twitter of him painting Alex Highsmith’s cleats for Sunday. Highsmith chose to support Urban Impact for the league’s My Cause, My Cleats initiative that will take place in Week 13 and Week 14.

🏈 According to Pro Football Focus, the cornerback duo of Cameron Sutton and Levi Wallace have 10+ interceptions/forced incompletions this season, which is tied for the most in the league among cornerback duos.

🏈 Former Steelers Dermontti Dawson, Santonio Holmes, and James Farrior spent the day touring Mexico City before Sunday’s Siempre Steelers Watch Party.

🏈 Nine out of 10 analysts on NFL.com have the Steelers winning against the Falcons.

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