Steelers Gameday
Final: Seahawks 28, Steelers 26

FOURTH QUARTER
0:00 Seattle takes a knee and wins the game 28-26.
1:38 Seattle successfully converts a 4th and 1 to keep possession.
5:34 Rudolph throws a 3-yard touchdown to McDonald. Seahawks, 28-26.
5:37 Bush recovers the fumble forced by Hilton on Carson. Steelers ball at the Seattle 1.
7:15 Russell Wilson connects with D.K. Metcalf for 28 yards for the Seattle touchdown. Seahawks, 28-19.
8:56 Seattle wins the challenge, claiming there was a pass interference. The PI penalty goes against Terrell Edmunds and gives the Seahawks a 38-yard gain.
9:52 James Conner’s return is officially listed as questionable with a knee injury.
11:16 Mason Rudolph with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Vance McDonald. Rudolph incomplete on the two-point attempt. Seattle, 21-19.
12:34 James Conner heads into the tent with an injury. JuJu Smith Schuster passes Hall of Famer Randy Moss as the youngest to get to 2,500 career receiving yards.
15:00 Seam Davis’ return is listed as questionable.
THIRD QUARTER
2:56 Rashaad Penny adds to the Seattle lead with a 33-yard touchdown run. Seahawks, 21-13.
6:21 Chris Boswell caps the drive with a successful 33-yard field goal. Seattle, 14-13.
8:54 The Steelers go with the fake, leading to Mason Rudolph completing a 45-yarder to JuJu Smith-Schuster.
9:49 Vince Williams is officially ruled out for the rest of the game.
9:49 Seattle takes advantage of the short field after a turnover. Wilson hits Dissly again from 12 yards out.
15:00 Ben Roethlisbeger has an elbow injury and is questionable to return. Mason Rudolph will start the third quarter.
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger Leaves Game vs. Seahawks with Elbow Injury
SECOND QUARTER
2:00 Ben Roethlisberger, who seemed bothered by his throwing arm on that drive, has gone to the Steelers’ locker room. Mason Rudolph is warming up on the Pittsburgh sideline.
2:20: The Steelers’ best drive of the day ends in a field goal after an offensive pass interference penalty by Vance McDonald backed them up.
Chris Boswell striped it from 43 yards out.
5:54: Diontae Johnson, not Ryan Switzer, back deep for the Steelers punt return team. He gets 11 yards.
8:40: After a Dan McCullers penalty during a field goal gave Seattle new life on offense, Russell Wilson found his tight end Will Dissly down the seam in between Devin Bush and Sean Davis.
12:06 Watt back into the game.
12:23 T.J. Watt slow to get up after making a diving tackle of Carson. He heads to the medical tent.
14:44 James Conner scores from 1-yard out as the Steelers get seven points from the turnover. Drive helped by a pair of Seattle penalties.
FIRST QUARTER
0:11 The Steelers have the game’s first turnover. T.J. Watt jarred the ball loose from Seattle running back Chris Carson.
Mark Barron scooped it up and scored, but Sean Davis was penalized for a block in the back during the return.
1:36 Steelers inside linebacker Vince Williams left the game with a hamstring injury and is doubtful to return. Williams was wearing the team’s green-dot radio helmet for today.
12:58 Steelers defensive starters:
Stephon Tuitt
Cameron Heyward
T.J. Watt
Mark Barron
Vince Williams
Bud Dupree
Joe Haden
Steven Nelson
Mike Hilton
Terrell Edmunds
Sean Davis
15:00 Steelers offensive starters:
Alejandro Villanueva
Ramon Foster
Maurkice Pouncey
David DeCastro
Matt Feiler
Ben Roethlisberger
James Conner
Donte Moncrief
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Vance McDonald
Xavier Grimble
PREGAME NOTES
1:00 Steelers ILB Tyler Matakevich fills in for Rosie Nix as special teams captain. Seattle wins the toss and defers. Steelers ball first.
12:30 Steelers ILB Vince Williams is wearing the green-dot radio helmet for the #Steelers defense. He was one of several players to wear it in practice this week.
12:20 Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey (questionable, ankle) and cornerback Joe Haden (questionable, shoulder) are both dressed and taking part in warmups.
GAMEDAY INFO
Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, 1 p.m.
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
SN Coverage: Alan Saunders, Mike Asti, Ed Thompson
TV/Radio: WPGH-TV Channel 53 (Pittsburgh) and FOX (Nationally), Steelers Radio Network (102.5 WDVE-FM)
PITTSBURGH WEATHER NOW FORECAST
76 degrees, sunny
INACTIVES
STEELERS: CB Justin Layne, FB Roosevelt Nix, OLB Jay Elliott, G Fred Johnson, T Chukwuma Okorafor, TE Zach Gentry, DE Isaiah Buggs.
SEAHAWKS: WR Gary Jennings, CB Neiko Thorpe, FS Tedric Thompson, C Joey Hunt, WR David Moore, DE Ezekiel Ansah, NT Poonah Ford.
INJURY UPDATES
OUT: Steelers FB Roosevelt Nix (knee); Seahawks C Joey Hunt (ankle), WR David Moore (shoulder)
DOUBTFUL: Seahawks DT Poona Ford (calf), FS Tedric Thompson (hamstring), CB Neiko Thorpe (hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE: Steelers CB Joe Haden (right AC joint sprain), C Maurkice Pouncey (ankle); Seahawks DE Ziggy Ansah (shoulder)
STEELERS NOW COVERAGE THIS WEEK
Steelers Depth Chart at Receiver Still Wide Open Behind Smith-Schuster
Steelers’ Maurkice Pouncey: ‘I’m Playing’, Joe Haden Not 100%
Steelers’ Pass Rush, Quiet Against Tom Brady, Will Face Different Challenge in Russell Wilson
Steelers FB Roosevelt Nix Could Miss Multiple Weeks with Knee Injury
Steelers’ Roethlisberger: ‘Sun is Still Shining’ Despite Week 1 Loss
Steelers Gameday
Alex Highsmith Needs MRI after Ankle Injury Suffered vs. Browns

PITTSBURGH — Steelers rookie linebacker Alex Highsmith suffered an ankle injury that will require an MRI in Sunday’s playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Highsmith left the game in the first half and was seen limping on the Pittsburgh sideline. He made an attempt to return to the game, but was unable to continue playing and did not see the field at all in the second half.
In-game, the Steelers announced that Highsmith was doubtful to return with an ankle injury. After the fact, head coach Mike Tomlin said that Highsmith suffered a high ankle sprain. Highsmith’s father posted on Twitter early on Monday morning that Highsmith will require an MRI on his injured ankle.
Not the way we wanted the season to end but I am thankful to have been a part of this amazing ride! The Highsmith Family is proud to wear the Black & Gold and we look forward to more success in the future! Please pray for Alex as he gets an MRI tomorrow on his ankle! #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/JJA4PpZpvx
— Sam Highsmith (@SHighsmithClan) January 11, 2021
Given that Highsmith was able to walk and even run in short bursts after the injury, it does not seem likely that it will impact his offseason training plans.
The team’s third-round draft pick out of Charlotte, Highsmith was thrust into a starting role after starting outside linebacker Bud Dupree suffered an ACL injury that required surgery.
On the season, Highsmith played in 16 regular season game and made five starts. He finished with 48 tackles, five for a loss, six quarterback hits, one interception and one pass defended.
With Dupree set to become an unrestricted free agent and unlikely to return, Highsmith should be expected to retain his starting role in 2021.
Steelers
Mike Tomlin Doesn’t Regret Punt, Will Talk to Ben Roethlisberger About Future

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin answers questions from the media following his team’s shocking defeat at the hands of the Browns in the playoffs. Tomlin explained why he decided to punt on a 4th and 1 in the 4th quarter while trailing by multiple scores. He also touched on the timeline for when he will talk to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger about his future with the team.
Steelers Gameday
JuJu Smith-Schuster Says He Doesn’t Regret ‘Browns Is the Browns’ Comment
PITTSBURGH — It was repeated so often in the five days between when JuJu Smith-Schuster said the phrase on Wednesday to Sunday night’s game at Heinz Field, that it nearly became the No. 1 talking point coming into the game.
“The Browns is the Browns.” Before the game, after the game and probably during the game, many of the Browns made it clear that they had taken exception to Smith-Schuster’s characterization of the team.
The Browns IS THE BROWNS!! 🌚
— Jedrick Wills Jr.®️++💕 (@JWills73) January 11, 2021
Smith-Schuster said after the game that he had no regrets about what he said.
“You know, I don’t regret what I said,” Smith-Schuster said. “I said, ‘The Browns is the Browns.’ They came out and they played a hell of a game. You know, there’s been games where we feel we lose them and today wasn’t our night and hopefully the same Browns will show up next week against the same opponent and go out and do the same thing they did tonight and have a hell of a game.”