News & Links: Steelers Legends in Ireland, Browns Pass on Flacco

Steelers News & Links: Your daily stop for all of the news and links from the Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL and around the Sports Now Group.

🏈 Pittsburgh Steelers legends Alan Fancea and Santonio Holmes are in Ireland for the Steelers Watch Party that will take place on Sunday at Croke Park in Dublin. The event is sold out. Since arriving in Ireland on Thursday, Faneca and Holmes have visited Croke Park, toured the Guinness factory, had a round of golf at Royal County Down Golf Club and hosted a youth football camp. 

Sunday will be the Steelers’ first-ever watch party in Ireland. The event itself is the first large-scale fan event since the 1997 NFL preseason game between the Steelers and Chicago Bears, which took place at Croke Park. The Steelers are exploring a new horizon through the NFL Global Markets Program. Under this initiative, NFL teams are granted the opportunity to market themselves in different territories outside of the United States. The Rooneys have a deep connection to the Ireland, especially Newry in County Down, from where the Rooney family initially emigrated.

First stop on the Steelers tour of Dublin is the @officialgaa Museum at @CrokePark, where the Steelers played the first, and still the only NFL game to take place on Irish soil, way back in 1997, beating the Bears 30-17. #FáilteSteelers #HEREWEGO #STEELERSIRELAND pic.twitter.com/giqWP2aYxO

— Steelers Ireland (@SteelersIreland) November 16, 2023

🏈 T.J. Watt said practicing against rookie right tackle Broderick Jones has made them both better players.

“It’s fun for me to go up against Broderick in practice because he is a young guy that’s always trying to ask me things and it’s fun for me to go up against the guy that’s always trying something new. He’s not just trying to beat me, holding his hands every play or doing something different, he’s actually trying things so we can work together. And I think it’s making both of us better,” Watt said on the Green Light Podcast with Chris Long.

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🏈 Kenny Pickett thinks the refs got the call right on his controversial “backward/forward pass” in the Steelers’ 23-19 win over the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. 

“I don’t think so, the refs got it right, man. The refs got it right. They had time to review it, and it came back as a forward pass. It’s a forward pass,” Pickett told Robert Griffin III on the RG3 and The Ones podcast. 

🏈 Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that the Cleveland Browns will not sign free agent quarterback Joe Flacco following his workout on Friday. They could come back around to Flacco, however.

“So, Flacco will head home and both sides can assess,” Fowler wrote.

With Deshaun Watson out for the season with a shoulder injury, the Browns will sign a third quarterback to go with Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker. Thompson-Robinson will start Sunday against the Steelers.

🏈 Kenny Pickett reflected on how special it is to play in the same city where he starred in college. 

“It was special. Got a chance to win a championship at Pitt and that’s the goal here with the Steelers,” Pickett told RG3. “So I think if you get one on both sides, you did alright so that’s kinda the goal. And everything we’re working towards is to win and be champions. It’s awesome and an honor to walk into the left side of the building now instead of the right. Always grateful for the experiences I had at Pitt. All the people there, I love everyone on that side of the building. But it’s cool to have that relationship where I can walk over there and see my old coaches and see my old strength staff that I had, chop it up for a little bit and then walk back over. I think it’s pretty unique and obviously you can only do that at Pitt.”

🏈 Former Steelers free safety Ryan Clark thinks Pittsburgh could win the AFC North. 

Ryan Clark believes the Steelers could host playoff games at Acrisure Stadium. #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/2aTUISrsFe

— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) November 18, 2023

🎂 Happy Birthday to former Steelers center Chukky Okobi, born on November 18, 1978 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

🎥 NFL Films captured the Steelers’ two key interceptions late in their win over the Packers. It was the turning point of the game.

The @Steelers defense came up big causing key turnovers when they needed it most 🔥 #NFLTurningPoint pic.twitter.com/AcUQ7Bveej

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) November 17, 2023

NON-STEELERS NEWS FROM AROUND THE SPORTS NOW NETWORK

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic scored a goal with WBS.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: The Pirates avoided arbitration with Ryan Borucki.

Pittsburgh Sports Now: Pitt basketball raced over Jacksonville.

West Virginia Sports Now: WVU center Zach Frazier will be attending the Senior Bowl.

Nittany Sports Now: Should Penn State be pursuing Brennan Marion as offensive coordinator?

Pittsburgh Soccer Now: Pitt women’s soccer team beat Arkansas to advance to the Sweet 16.